7 Hobbies to Pick Up This Summer

By Vivian El-Salawy on May 17, 2018

The first thing most college students turn to at the start of their summer breaks are trips to the beach or Netflix. Regardless of whether there is a summer job or internship in line, there is always an abundant amount of spare time. By the end of the first month of summer break, students find themselves “bored”. Having said that, here are a few summer hobbies to pick up this summer:

Yoga

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Regardless of whether or not flexibility is your friend or your foe, yoga is a great way to find your greatest strengths and weaknesses and improve upon them. Looking into local yoga classes aren’t a bad idea. In fact, if you’re taking summer classes, certain college campuses offer yoga classes at their on-campus gyms. Some local gyms may even include discounted prices for students. If you’re not feeling comfortable enough to pursue a class immediately, technology is a great resource. Get a group of friends together, look into some yoga applications on your phone, or even watch YouTube tutorials. You may gain more than just physical strength from it.

Slack-lining

Prior to my time in college, I never knew what slacklining was. The first time I walked on my college campus and saw a group of people walking on a thin rope between two trees, my jaw nearly dropped to the ground. To slackline, you can purchase everything you need off of Amazon. It’s a great way to spend time with your friends, and no one is a pro right from the start. Make sure you read into which line is the best for your needs, how to set it up, details on tree protection, and instructions on how to walk the line. It’s important that you do it in a safe environment, all the while protecting both yourself and the environment you choose to practice in.

Sewing

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Sewing sounds a little less adventurous than the previous hobbies mentioned, but it is probably one of the most useful, underrated skills that someone can develop. Growing up, if there was a tear in your shirt, or a rip in your skirt, you would probably send it over to mom or grandma to fix it up. Come college, you won’t have them around as resources. It’ll be an incredibly useful skill for both yourself and those around you, in the present and the future. It’ll also come in handy with crafting and gift-making. You would be surprised what cool gifts could come from sewing, and related hobbies as well.

Longboarding

Back to adventure – regardless of whether or not you’ve ever been a skater, longboarding is relatively easy to pick up. The width of the board, as well as its flexibility, makes it easier for one to control the direction in which they are going and allows for them to maintain their balance. One of my favorite things about longboarding is then learning to customize your board. Picking out a board (or even buying a used board) is a big moment, and you can choose to customize it with stickers of your choice. Additionally, it’ll take you on some of your greatest adventures, and you’ll be able to get from one class to another faster than anybody else come next semester.

Blogging

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If you’re not one for any crazy, wild hobby that involves balance or movement – blogging is another underrated one. When it comes to blogging, there are various aspects to take into consideration: who is your primary audience, do you want a theme to your writing, or is this more of a diary/personal journal? Being able to customize your blog, whether it’s on your personal website or specifically a blogging site, is a great way to express yourself. Whether you go public or keep it on the downlow, choosing a theme for your blog isn’t a terrible idea too. In fact, it might give you a sense of direction this summer. Will it be a travel blog or a food blog? Maybe your blog will end up being an introspective one that will help understand yourself in a way that you couldn’t before.

Learning calligraphy

The concept of needing to have neat handwriting to be good at calligraphy is false one. If you have always been captivated by calligraphy as a visual art, the summer is a great way to learn more about it. There are so many different forms of calligraphy, as well as methods of executing it. Take some time to find your favorite form and method, collect the necessary materials, and then learn away! Practice makes perfect, so it will definitely take some trial and error (which may be frustrating), but you can use your newly learned skills to make some beautiful cards for those closest to you and demonstrate your art (or just enjoy it on your own).

Cooking

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How much money do you spend on going out for food with your friends? Sometimes it’s peer pressure, but sometimes it’s the fact that you either don’t feel like cooking, or don’t know how to cook. If you’re somebody that spends a good chunk of money on eating out, then you must have an appreciation for fine dining, so why not have that experience in your own kitchen? The best way to learn how to cook is to first pick out some recipes for your favorite meal. Then, pick out some simpler recipes. Start off with the simplest recipes, and once you master those, work your way up to what you’ve been dying to make yourself. This will save you money coming back to school the next semester and will make your place the place to be for both you and your friends. Consider “family dinners” with your roommates and friends. It’ll help bring you closer together, and best of all, you won’t have to get out of your pajamas.

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