Last week, we touched on some ideas for internships if you’re looking for a great way to add some value to your CV and get some amaze hands on work experience.

This week, we’re looking at some different ways to spend your summer holidays that will not only give you some work experience, but you’ll challenge yourself, meet new people, learn a lifetime of experience and do something that your friends and family will be uber jealous of.

Summer Camps
If you enjoy working outdoors in the sun and keeping fit while entertaining children, then this is a job for you. Summer camps in the US and Canada are great ways to fill your time, have fun, meet new people and gain a wealth of experience.  Head to BUNAC or CCUSA for more info on Summer Camps in the US, and also working in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand if that tickles your fancy!

Teaching English
Enjoy life in Thailand – it’s not just about food! Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a great way to gain work experience whilst travelling! Of course, Thailand is not the only place, head to TEFL for a surplus of countries in Asia, The Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

Wildlife Ranger in Africa
Be the envy of all your mates while you play with baby tigers and other wildlife that you only get to see in cages at the zoo. Learn about wildlife conservation in completely different surroundings.  Of course Africa would be awesome, but it’s not the only place with wildlife… Head to STA TRAVEL for your choices! 

Hopefully, most of you have finished exams and are enjoying the *ahem* summer holidays, but have you thought about what you’re actually going to do with your time? Of course, you can do the norm, hang out with your mates, go to Lanzeroti, go on pub crawls, hang about in your local green, visit the folks etc….

Have you considered gaining some extremely valuable work experience that would look amaze on your CV and give you awesome skills for employment after you’ve graduated?

A summer internship doesn’t necessarily mean long hours and no pay, there are heaps of employers offering PAID internships, while giving you the sparkle and beef to add to your CV.

If you are thinking about a summer internship, now is the best time to get your foot in the door, and to help you get started, here’s a few of our favourites.

Enternships
CareerFollow
The Student Job

Tweet

Everyone gets stressed at some point in their lives – in fact, it’s your body’s natural way of coping with challenging situations.

Being a student can be a stress unto itself, but there are many factors to consider about why you are stressed. Here’s a few common ones for students:

• Exams and study levels
• Combining study and work
• Managing on a teeny budget
• Leaving home (new surroundings, friends)

A little stress can be a good thing, as it means that you are mentally and physically switched on. The initial onset of stress, can be linked to adrenaline (or lack of) levels, which helps with energy, alertness, and creativity.

Stress becomes a problem when your ability to cope lessens, the adrenaline that you felt initially turns to anxiety, panic, worry and you are likely to be more irritable, anxious, depressed, emotional, have difficulties sleeping, concentrating, and composing yourself.

Remember to look after yourself, talk to your friends and family about the problems you’re facing, try writing about how you feel, try to identify why you are stressed, and get outside for some fresh air and exercise, and remember

If you feel you may be suffering from high levels of stress, or think a friend may be, talk about it, and investigate via nhs.co.uk, speak to a GP, or check the grievance policy at your uni.

In a recent study, researchers from University of East London and University of Westminster found that students that took water into an exam (and drank the water), did better than those who did not.

Lead by Dr Chris Pawson from UEL and Dr Mark Gardner from University of Westminster, the reseachers looked at the psychological and physiological reasons that a task as simple as having a few sips of water throughout your exam can lead to an improvement in students’ grades by up to 10%.

Water consumption may have a physiological effect on thinking function that result in improved exam performance and alleviate anxiety which is known to have a negative effect on exam performance.

Although these findings could impact current policies on access to drinks during exams at all levels of education, it is clear that keeping hydrated with water during exams helps students perform better.

So for your next exam, don’t forget to take a bottle of water or two with you!

If you would like to read UEL’s official Press Release on the effects of drinking water in exams, please click here.

Tweet

As a former student, I had a few naughty habits and I’ve actually brought one of them with me into my work life. My mum called it ‘burning the candle at both ends’, others call it sleep deprivation. Now instead of studying all night, I’ve become easy addicted to puzzles and strategy games that keep me awake till the small hours of the morning.  

It’s a familiar story, staying awake studying till all hours of the morning, but where’s the proof that fighting tiredness with coffee and depriving your body and mind of much needed sleep actually benefits your grades?

Truth be told, it doesn’t.

Depriving yourself of sleep while studying will ultimately contribute to lower grades from lack of attention and concentration. You’ll also find that your performance levels drop off in all areas of study as you continue to miss out on dreams of white fluffy clouds and unicorns.

But it doesn’t stop there, apart from a learning deficit, you can become more irritable, and become susceptible to conditions like weight gain, mood disorders, high blood pressure, depression and heart attack.

Experts advise that seven to eight hours sleep per night should be suffice to recharge the batteries, but when you’re in heavy duty study mode, it’s also advisable to have powernaps not exceeding 30 minutes per day as not to disturb your natural sleep cycle.

So before you sit down at your desk for an all nighter with the books, catch some sleep, recharge the batteries and your brain will thank you! 

Tweet