10 Productive Things You Can Do During This Summer While Stuck At Home

It can be hard to not be bored during normal summer. When we're not really supposed to leave our houses? That's even harder. That is why I've compiled a list of some of my fave ways to keep productive and busy! There is stuff for everyone on this list so I hope it's helpful. :)

Volunteer with an organization that you’re passionate about

Even though we are all stuck at home, there are a bunch of volunteer opportunities (I’ll tag some that
you should check out). A bunch of organizations are expanding because people have more time so
it’s a good time to apply for a leadership position (which looks great on college apps!). I recently
joined @generationratify.tx as their content director and I really enjoy being able to do what I love
(social media + meeting new people) while working towards a good cause (getting the ERA ratified).

Learn a new language 

I know this is kind of a “duh” suggestion and also it’s hard to learn a whole language in one summer
BUT hear me out! I bet we all have languages we’ve been meaning to learn but just have never had
the time too (I have 3 I really want to learn) so this is a great time to get started. It only has to be ten
minutes a day but if you keep going, you’ll definitely know more then when you started. Duolingo is,
of course, wonderful and there are also a bunch of courses online. I found a conversational Arabic
course on youtube that I’ve been using and I like it so far!

Text bank (aka one of the easiest way to help the candidate you believe should win)

Text banking is super easy, you can do it while multi-tasking, and it’s a great way to show your support
for a candidate while staying at home! Basically, if you get any of those automated messages like,
“Hey, my name is Nabila from *blank* and we’re wondering if you want to come to our event,” that’s
text banking. You pretty much just press a button over and over again and then if/when people reply
to you there are automated messages you can choose from. Sometimes people reply with really
random stuff and honestly I find it hilarious. I’ve done a bunch of text banking for @mjfortexas and
joined a couple of text banking parties where you just video call and text bank while talking/playing
music and it’s a lot of fun! Dm me for more info about this and I’d be happy to help you get set up.

Get that summer homework done early

I definitely don’t get my summer homework done immediately but it is a good idea. I like to plan it out
and say I’ll do one part this day and this one the next day. I’ve also been trying to do a little bit of time
blocking where from 9-10 I’ll do my Arabic and some homework so I start off the day productive and
then I don’t have to do any school stuff after that. It definitely doesn’t happen every day. But you
know.. we try haha.

Read a little bit every day 

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE NOW. This is one hundred percent me calling you out. I almost got a 100
on my big standardized test in 5th grade. You know why? I READ A WHOLE LOT. And.. well… it’s all
gone downhill from there lol. Seriously though, reading is SO good for you and a great thing to do to
get your mind off of things. I like to put away my electronics and read before bed and it’s super
helpful. 

Learn CPR

Believe it or not, there are actually online CPR classes! I’ve been wanting to take CPR for a while so
I’m planning on taking one from American Red Cross (don’t know how good it is yet but dm me and
I’ll send you the link).

Take an online course

There are so many free courses online that there is almost no way you won’t find one that interests
you. This is a great way to brush up on an old skill or learn a new one. 

Watch TV - but make it educational 

Most people my age would probably not be very happy at the thought of documentaries but let me tell
you, I have watched a good amount of documentaries in my day (strict parent things) and there are
some super interesting ones. I personally love ones that explain cultural/political stuff or ones about
how people started their businesses. There is always that time when we want to be productive but we
also want to do nothing and popping on a documentary or an educational youtube video is perfect for
this.

Listen to podcasts

I’ve been listening to a bunch of podcasts recently and love it so much! It’s a great way to stay
engaged and learning when you’re doing boring things like laundry, making breakfast, or going for a
walk.

Practice for PSAT/SAT (or any other standardized test you have to do!)

I know in American us students have to take the SAT/PSAT and in other countries, they also have
standardized tests to study for. I’m not saying spend your whole summer studying BUT it is a good
idea to do a bit of brushing up and it’s so much easier to study over time because your brain
remembers stuff better and then you won’t be stressed when test day comes. When I was looking at
stuff to do over the summer, I found out that Khan Academy has a whole SAT prep track which is
helpful even if you’re just taking the PSAT (aka pre-SAT) next year.

Comment down below what you're planning on doing this summer! I also made a graphic version of
this post which you can find on my Instagram.