It’s holiday time, but there is much more than endlessly watching television and playing computer games. It can also be a great time for seeing family, listening to music or enjoying time off your studies, but it is also a great excuse to get ahead and use that time wisely. Below are ways you can be productive this holiday season;

Get active.  If you’ve been swamped with school work and haven’t been able to find time to work-out, this is the perfect time to start an exercise routine that you can take back to school with you.

Evaluate the past year and set goals. Now that you don’t have to worry about exams, take some time to think about how your past year went and what things you can improve upon. What goals do you have? Are there any bad habits you want to break?

Pick up a new hobby. When academics, extra-curricular, team sports, and side projects take over your weekdays and weekends, it can be hard to fit in a fun hobby when it isn’t something that might "look good on your resume.” Use the holiday break to learn a new hobby and try an activity that you have been dreaming of doing.

Reach out to people. Use your time to re-connect with old friends, or to make new connections. Set-up brief informational interviews to get ahead during your time off.Get to know about professional life, talk to working class people and here the advice they have for getting your foot in the door in future.

1. It can be as simple as that. Read a book that isn’t required. Spend your afternoons relaxing and catching up on great literature.

Do an internship. Depending on the time you have, you may want to use these couple of weeks or months to intern in an industry that you are intrigued by. It’s good for your CV.

Volunteer. During this time of year, there are many organisations that can use a pair of extra hands. There are endless opportunities for getting involved, and your time will be greatly appreciated.

Be a tourist in your own city. It is so easy to take your city for granted. Spend a day going to visit the local museums, tourist attractions, and walking around the city parks. Who knows what you’ll learn or discover. Maybe you’ll even grow to love your home even more

Make plans. When school opens, you won’t have as much time to plan for the months ahead. Even if they are brief notes jotted down on a piece of scrap paper, get your ideas onto paper. This is the first step in making your ideas come to life.

Compiled by Dennis Agaba