We've all been in the horrible position of not really wanting to commit to going on a J1 or inter-railing through Europe, but almost planning one of them, be it from FOMO or lack of other ideas. For those of you who don't want to slave away at an Irish bar in Chicago for minimum wage, or who get anxious at the very thought of having to get so many trains, here are some slightly different ideas to have a think about when planning your summer!
Road trips.
There are so many options when it comes to road trips, and all you really need is a car and a driver (maybe two, unless you want a very grumpy designated driver). You could keep it close to home and try visiting all the Irish historical sites your parents never took you to as a child; Try and get through 32 counties in 32 days, or even just visit all the best pubs in Ireland. The possibilities are endless.
You also have the exciting option of going on a road trip abroad. You could go to all the best theme parks in America, or the biggest lakes in Europe. All you have to do is find things you're interested in and go from there!
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Internships.
Okay, so at first this one might not appeal to everyone. We hear what you're saying, "unpaid hard work in a grey office in rainy Dublin isn't exactly the best summer plan I could come up with." But the important things to remember about internships is that they're not all unpaid, they're not all boring office jobs, and they're not all in Ireland. You can go wherever you want and apply to anything that tickles your fancy. And who knows, you might end up discovering the dream career you never knew you wanted.
Volunteering.
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There are so many opportunities to volunteer all across the world. From teaching in Vietnam, to being a camp leader in California, you won't be short of ideas once you start researching your volunteering options. You could even get involved in something like Habitat for Humanity and help build houses in various communities around the world for those who are in need of a hand-up and some hope. Volunteering is something that can be extremely worthwhile and very rewarding, and might just be one of the best experiences you've ever had.
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WWOOF-ing.
WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms, and the basic idea is that you go abroad and volunteer on an organic farm. In most cases, you're provided with food and accommodation and the work varies from farm to farm. In some places you could be tending to cattle, and in others you could be making veggie burgers. If you look it up on their website, you'll see that each farm has a description of what kind of place they run, what kind of family runs it, and even whether or not the food is vegan or vegetarian or whatever it may be. So while manual labour might seem daunting at first, you're not likely to end up doing something you really don't want to because you'll have a fair idea of what the farm is like before arriving.
A Short Holiday.
For those of you who don't particularly fancy the idea of disappearing for the whole summer, be it because of the cost, because you'll get homesick, or because you have a part-time job you want to hold on to, just book a short holiday. If you're not into drinking holidays in Ios, or sunbathing in Spain, try thinking outside the box. Whether it's Krakow, Gozo, or Sharam El Sheikh - anything out of the ordinary will be an experience worth having. Just because you're a student doesn't mean you have to jet off for three months. Don't be afraid to suggest something like this to your friends.
