It’s that time of the year again: the winter semester is over, and students are selling their textbooks and eagerly getting started on their summer plans. For many, this may include taking some time to relax and recover from a challenging academic year.

This past week, for example, I’ve just been visiting family, sleeping in late and reading books for fun. I’ve been enjoying not having homework and meetings, at least for a short time. Still, at some point or another, most of us ultimately try to be productive during our summer vacations. We might have a job (or two), take classes, volunteer, etc. There are plenty of things that you can do to stay productive after finals.

First, you can always enroll in spring or summer classes. Doing so is great for a variety of reasons: you can knock off a few credits, thereby potentially easing your workload in the fall and winter semesters, and you can stay mentally fresh so that you’re prepared for a full class load in the fall. Oftentimes, if you want to take a general education course, you can attend a community college or take the course online and transfer the credits.

Or, if you’re living in the area, you can take certain classes locally on campus. That’s what I’m planning to do. In fact, this is the first time that I will be taking summer courses, and I couldn’t be more excited. I know that it will be challenging to have individual classes packed into six-week mini semesters, but I am eager to be able to work intensively on my Spanish during that time.

Of course, many of us will be working part-time or full-time jobs during the summer, too, which is productive in and of itself. Now is the time to gain some valuable work experience, enhance our resumes and save some money.

Reading is also a productive pursuit. During the school year, it can be difficult to find time to read for fun. Summer, though, tends to be more flexible, so now is the perfect time to pick up that novel that you’ve been wanting to read for months.

Of course, it’s important to have fun and try new things to broaden your horizons during the summer, too. If you have the time and resources, traveling is always a great option. You can also take advantage of all that your local area has to offer. In West Michigan, for example, there are plenty of beaches nearby, and of course the cool downtown scene in Grand Rapids. There is also a variety of clubs and organizations in the area, so there are abundant opportunities to try a new hobby, develop a new skill, do some volunteer work, etc. All in all, there are plenty of fun and interesting things to do.

While it’s great to be able to relax a bit during the summer after a difficult semester, it’s important to remain productive, too. Luckily, there are plenty of ways that you can do just that. You can work a job, read a book for fun, take a class, travel, etc. The opportunities are endless.