While most students would like to be able to go home to their families and friends to celebrate the holiday season, the reality is that many of us, especially international students, will be spending winter break here at Rochester. Now, December 22nd to January 15th is a long time, so I've come up with a list of things to do if you'll be staying on campus this winter.
1. Learn something new
What can you learn in three weeks, you might ask? Believe it or not, a lot. There are countless online resources, such as Coursera, edX, and even YouTube, that provide online courses from the world's top universities. Winter break would be a great time to try out a few. I'll be taking a computer science course offered by Princeton University this winter, at my own pace too! There are thousands upon thousands of courses one can take online, in subjects ranging from art history to electrical engineering to political science. Not interested in taking another college course? Learning comes in many forms. Pick up an instrument, start lifting weights or working out, learn to cook, or do countless other fun and useful things.
2. Brush up for the spring semester
Okay, I'll admit this may not be the option most people would be eager to jump on, but I'm sure that there's many of you out there taking tough classes next semester. If you're enrolled in MTH 165 (Differential Equations), for example, make sure you're very comfortable with trigonometry and differentiation/integration before jumping headfirst into a very challenging course. By preparing for your spring classes, even with just a week or two of review, you'll start off the new year on good footing.
3. Read a few good books
Take advantage of the peace and quiet by picking a few books you've been meaning to read and finish them. The libraries on campus will still be open for the most part, and there won't be a more perfect time to spend your days around countless good books. I'll be reading a book on Duke Ellington, as well as finally getting around to finishing the Eragon series (Yeah, I know I'm a bit old for it now, but I have to finish that last book eventually).
4. Play a video game
For those who just want to relax and enjoy their few weeks off, there's nothing wrong with investing dozens of hours into a good video game!
-Ty