5 Things to Do This Summer If You're An Unemployed College Grad

Impact

Another graduation season has come and gone. Some of you are living it up on vacation before starting a job you managed to land before leaving college (what's your secret?!) while others are back at home with their parents feeling as grown-up as an elementary school student.

The summer after graduation can be stressful without job prospects, but it can also be a freeing, adventurous time. I wish I hadn't worried so much the summer after graduation, when I spent a month and a half roaming the beaches and eating the delicious food of the south of France, so here's how to take advantage of the free time you most definitely won't have again until retirement, and by then, you won't be as hot, youthful, and spry as you are now. Live it up while you have the energy and freedom to do so.

1. Read for fun

I bet you felt like there wasn't much time for leisurely reading in college. Just wait until you start working full-time! You've probably been bound to textbooks and class reading assignments since freshman year, so use your free time to check out the books that have been collecting dust on your dresser for months on end.

2. Travel if you can

Because vacation time is pretty much non-existent in today's world.

3. Catch up on phone calls

When was the last time you called up an old friend to see how he/she is  doing? It's probably been a while, so reach out to the folks you haven't had a chance to talk to in forever. Like your grandma, for example. She'd love to hear from you.

4. Jot down some short-term (and maybe long-term) goals

I know you're probably stressed about the lack of direction in your life, but the sooner you decide what you'd like for yourself, whether in the near future or further down the road, the faster you can get moving and execute your game plan. If you don't know what you want, set simple goals for yourself, even stuff like "clean the bedroom spotless" or "give away X amount of clothes to charity." It's important to maintain some motivation, especially during times of uncertainty.

5. Out with the old, in with the new

You're not a little kid anymore. Get rid of things you don't need to help jumpstart your pseudo adult life. You'll make room for new stuff and begin moving on from the past. You have so many memories to be made, so purge the things that are just taking up space at this point.