What do major holidays; spring break; summer vacation; weekends; and snow days all have in common? They are all times that school is not in session—or, in other words, down-time for both students and educators. But what if you want to do more than play video games or doom-scroll on your phone? Well, I may have an idea or two for you, if you choose to keep reading.  

This list will be broken into two categories: Holistic SITs (Strategies, Ideas, & Tips) & Academic SITs—for a grand total of thirteen.

Holistic SITs

1. Stick to a schedule: Perhaps one of the most important thing for students to do—even over breaks and unexpected days off from school—is to stick to a regular schedule. A schedule for going to bed; a schedule for getting up in the morning; and a schedule for completing chores and school-work from home. Many parents and caretakers will be in a great position to discuss—and assist their student(s) with setting-up—the perfect daily schedule for themselves, knowing that now is a great time to trial-run, or fine-tune, those particular efforts. And while there may be no school bells right now….

2. Set alarms: Along with sticking to a schedule, another great Executive Function practice opportunity is utilizing alarms (and not just for waking up in the mornings). For instance, if a student wants to spend x-amount of time on a particular activity during the day, an alarm clock can keep them focused on the task at-hand without worrying about losing track of time. They can also use it as a reward system for completing school work, chores, or other assigned duties at home. Example: If a student completes a certain academic task (or tasks) for the day, they can then reward themselves with a set amount of time for media devices, taking a nap, leisurely reading, or doing anything else that they enjoy, before going back to their work activities. This is often called the pomodoro technique—it is quite customizable—and it can be highly-effective.

3. Dress for s(chool)uccess: This can provide a nice measure of control and simulate what a normal day would look like. After all, if you want to take a selfie later, which looks better for a picture: school clothes or pajamas? Getting dressed in the morning just seems to set a strong and productive tone for the rest of the day.

4. Wake up early: This is one that might work well for some students if, in particular, families have to share technology devices, or if a student prefers to work in a quieter environment (maybe they have younger siblings or perhaps are part of a larger household). Getting up earlier might allow for some additional peace and quiet to be more productive.

5. Exercise from home: No gym membership? No problem. There are usually numerous at-home options for breaking a sweat and squeezing in a workout. Students can create their own workouts at home—many of which can be no or low-equipment exercises. Don’t have weights? No problem. Simple, safe household items could be used instead for weight-resistance. The point is, to work with what you have and get creative. There are a lot of workout videos and plans online, so help your student(s) if they are not sure where to start.

6. Help out around the house: Maybe you want to show off that new recipe you have always wanted to try out. Now you can get excellent, real-time feedback from your entire family. Maybe a parent or caregiver is skilled in a certain area of expertise that you are interested in—great! Shadow them or ask them if they can teach you what they know. Handy around the house? This is a great time for spring cleaning and maybe completing those projects that have always needed to be done—make it a family affair. Who knows, it might really spark an interest (and can allow a student to feel a sense of pride, or ownership, for what they have accomplished).

Academic SITs

7. Read more: Reading can take us to fun and far-away places—and without ever even having to leave our physical homes! Have a book lying around that you always told yourself you would read? Awesome! Read for fun; read for relaxation; read to pass the time; or read for knowledge—any way you go, you can’t go wrong with starting and finishing a great book.

8. Learn another language: These days, it is probably easier than ever to embark upon learning another language. If you are in school, chances are you might already be studying a second language—if so, keep going! The extra time right now might really allow you to advance ahead in your language proficiency. Practice on friends or family or have them quiz you—get creative and have fun with it.

9. Complete a personality assessment:  Discover more about who you are by completing a personality assessment, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or DISC assessments, for example (many versions, or condensed versions, are free). Share your results with friends and families and compare how similar (and different) you are to others. This can come in handy with selecting courses to take in school or helping you to discover various careers that might suit you particularly well.

10. Work on test prep or college essays: Or both. This is a great time for students to sharpen their skills with standardized test prep practice, or to also work on their college essays, if they are current Juniors. Jot-down some thoughts on paper; think about what you want to write about. What stories needs to be told? What areas of improvement need to be fortified in test prep or essay-writing? Now is the time to sharpen those skills.

11. Create a resume:  This is an idea that will pay big dividends, particularly, in the future. Some classes might even require resume-writing as part of a classroom assignment (so students could start a resume now and update it later, as needed, for class; job applications, etc.). I liken the resume to a sort of personal Constitution, if you will. It’s like a living, amendable document. If you’re a student: Don’t worry if your resume seems short to you. Just organize each section to include any awards, accolades, achievements, jobs, clubs, sports, or proficiencies that are unique to you. You will have started the framework for a ready-made resume to hand to potential employers (and this is something that can also help you with the college application process). Need a letter of recommendation? As a school counselor, a student resume can help me to write an even stronger recommendation letter for students (I recommend updating resumes every 6-12 months for students).

12. Do now what you said you never had the time to do before: Yes, now may be the time to start that new project or activity you told yourself you would always do if you had more time. Guess what? More time is now here. Little things, big things—there is no limit to creativity and imagination. Leverage time; master time.

13. Take a tour:  Similar to reading a book, sometimes we need to take a trip; vacation; or tour—either in our minds or in the actual form. Many colleges have virtual tours set up for inquisitive and interested students; so do other places like museums and zoos—all for free! While virtual tours might not hold the same exact dynamism as seeing sites in-person, they can still be super valuable (and fun)—so go forth and explore!