Post #31 Engineering Students Need a Break
The semester is about over. You’re exhausted, sleep deprived and in desperate need of recovery time. It is completely normal for engineering students to feel so run-down this time of year. So much has been asked of you and so much is expected. Whether you’re working or taking summer courses, here are a few ideas for you because engineering students need a break!
Get Creative
If possible, give the left side of your brain a rest this summer. Have you ever challenged the right side of your brain on purpose? I dare you to give it a try this summer. This would include activities requiring visualization, imagination and creativity such as playing instruments, writing songs or poetry. Sketch and create some cartoons or paint some scenery with animals. You could go on a crazy, cheap adventure to experience a new place. Learn how let go of some of your control because engineers love to be control freaks. Do something fun and spontaneous to give yourself a feeling of fearlessness. Perform a creative activity at random like inventing your own recipes. Read some fantasy, sci-fi or philosophy books. Write your thoughts in a journal. Find something harmless that is completely illogical, irrational and non-strategic without patterns or numbers. Practice finding adventures and taking risks. Go out of your way to be daring!
Get Moving
Engineering students have been known to sit a lot. And study and do homework and get projects completed and write code. You do a massive amount of sitting over the semesters. Just because your young bodies can handle it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Move your body over the summer. Take up an activity or two that will require you to have to physically exert yourself. Even something as simple as walking every day is so good for your wellbeing. Short walks could turn into long hikes. Perhaps you prefer jogging, or competition sports. Find a landscaping or construction job. Volunteer at a pet shelter or at a farm. Hit up the gym with a friend and challenge yourselves. Try to make up for all the sitting you’ve done if you have some free time over the summer. Engineering students need a break and so does your health.
Get Out
Perhaps you’ll remain on campus or maybe you’ll spend the summer somewhere else. Whether you end up working or not, make time to enjoy activities outside. If you can handle the weather and the allergens in the air, just get outside. Do not spend the majority of your free time parked in front of a TV while you binge the summer away. And getting outside is something that does not require money. Go for walks, bike rides, hikes, or camping. Just sit in the grass, in the sand or on the sidewalk and soak up some sun rays. Learn the summer constellations. It may sound corny but your brain and body will thank you for the exposure to mother nature.
