Enjoying the summer is an essential part of getting ready before university life in September. Let’s be honest, you deserve the break after the last 12 months. And, luckily, you can fit a lot into what’s left of July and August. But if you did want to get into the swing of stretching your brain matter – even if only in short bursts – we’ve got you covered.

July 15^th is World Youth Skills Day. Organised by the United Nations as a way to ensure that young people around the world would be equipped with the essential knowledge and skills that they would need to be successful.

---

University Taster Courses

If you want to have a better feel for what a specific course will be like come September, then taster days can provide that for you. If you’re not sure which course you want to study, they can be especially helpful to find out what to expect for your day-to-day student life – or close enough to it.

You can check out which universities are offering taster courses here. Please note that most taster courses have been moved online again this year.

---

Online summer courses

You don’t have to pay thousands of pounds to benefit from the wide range of online courses. Good news is that they are available to almost anyone, if you know where to look.

One example is the Open University’s OpenLearn platform. You can study a variety of topics from History & Art to Money and Business. Completion times vary but you will receive a statement of participation after completing the course. It’s worth browsing through the courses on offer and see if anything takes your interest.

There are also free courses with coursera and edx to browse and try out. They’re in-depth and interesting and could give you an advantage when it comes to further study and career prospects.

---

Read books designed to prepare you for university study.

Transitioning from A-level to degree level can be a bit of a shock. You’ve swapping three or more subjects for one or two – but the workload can be more intense and structuring your study and assignments will require a bit more thought.

Picking up books that teach you how to best answer the questions asked of you in your assignments will save you time when researching and writing your essays. This allows you to focus on only the relevant material and avoid rambling in the text.  Take advantage of your local library or buy books digitally to save money (and bag space).

---

Study a language.

As we covered in our benefits of learning another language blog, there are a number of reasons why you should improve your language skills this summer. Even if you’re not leaving the country, language skills can be very useful. Especially with employers later on.

Watching a film or tv show in another language, studying with an app, even for an hour a day can help you improve quickly.

---

Find work experience or volunteer.

Summer is the perfect time to get involved with local organisations. Or find a work placement to fill up some hours. Some placements do pay, but not all. You can also volunteer within your local community or online, which can be beneficial for your health and wellbeing, as well as giving back and giving you valuable experience.

---

You can learn more about the work being done for young people by the United Nations by visiting the website.