7 Things To Do With Your Summer “Break”

Every year my family and friends tell me how jealous they are that I don’t work all summer, which generally elicits a laugh and a quick subject change from me.

Why? I feel like they still don’t quite understand what I do. In fact, they seem to think being a university professor is quite easy, requires little planning or expertise, and can be done by almost anyone.

But here’s the thing - in over ten years, I have never taken a summer off. In fact, I know very few faculty who do. Between teaching at least one summer course, catching up on research, prepping courses, and service obligations that don’t seem to stop (hello curriculum deadlines at the end of August), most faculty work long after their previous contracts have expired in May and well before their new ones start in August.

If you care about being a great teacher, or even a good one, the hours during the academic year stretch well beyond 40 a week. There is often little time between preparing lessons, teaching classes, grading student work, answering emails from and meeting with students, conducting research, and fulfilling service obligations, to develop or improve as a teacher. For those who want to get better at their craft, summer is the only time to do so.

The challenge is to find time to recharge and relax, while still improving your courses and teaching, engaging with industry, and catching up on research.

Not sure how? Here is a list of 7 things I do (and think you should do) during summer break.

1. Take a vacation where you completely unplug from being an academic.

It can be a two-week visit to another country, a weekend in the mountains, or a staycation where you visit a local spot that is special to you. Turning off your work brain for even a weekend is a great way to get a fresh perspective on work and life. If you can, include time outside enjoying nature in your summer vacation plans. Research suggests spending time in nature is good for mental health and studies have shown that doing so can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance cognitive function.

My favorite summer vacation? A few days hiking in a national or state park with friends or family. There is something about the stillness and beauty of nature that revitalizes a tired brain. Whether it’s hiking through Yosemite, camping in a state park, or simply soaking in scenic views on a road trip, being in nature provides perspective about the world and our place in it. Plus, you are more likely to disconnect from devices if you are exploring places where service is less than ideal.

2. Complete some sort of professional development for teaching.

I’ve had many former colleagues suggest the Teaching Professor Conference, which happens in early June each year. While I have only attended the online version in the past, going in-person provides an opportunity to connect with faculty across disciplines and consider how to apply their ideas to your content area. Sometimes you need to think outside of your disciplinary box to freshen up your teaching.

If a conference isn’t in your travel budget, try workshops offered by your university. Most have a center for teaching and learning (or the equivalent) that offer training, course development workshops, and reading groups to help professors improve their teaching. Some even offer a stipend for attending!

3. Engage in professional development related to your industry or technological advances.

Enrolling in online courses or workshops over the summer can help you learn new skills or deepen your knowledge in your field. Upskilling is crucial for staying relevant and connected to industry, and can often provide fresh material for lectures or inspire new approaches to teaching.

If you have a premium LinkedIn account, or your university subscribes to licenses for faculty, staff, and students, you can access tons of courses on LinkedIn Learning across a wide variety of topics. Coursera is another great option to find free or inexpensive courses on a diverse set of topics.

Can’t find anything relevant to your area of expertise? Take a course on a technology topic like generative AI. Find out if you can apply for professional development funds in your department, college, or university and consider courses that come with certification. This summer I signed up to take the Piloting AI course from the Marketing AI Institute (if you are interested, I can promise this course will apply to you even if you aren’t in marketing!).

4. Pursue a new hobby or read just for fun.

Before I had kids, I used to paint. I wasn’t great at it, but I loved the free flowing expression. Plus, focusing my mind on the motion of the brush helped me destress and clear my mind. The options for creative pursuits or new hobbies are nearly endless! You can try one this summer and if you don’t like it try a new one next summer. Often, city parks and recreation departments offer free or relatively inexpensive opportunities to learn new hobbies. Plus, learning something new will remind you what it is like to be a novice - which is important when you are teaching your expertise to a room of novice students.

Or, if a new hobby isn’t something you are interested in, dive into novels, biographies, or any non-academic reading. Choose something that is different from what you might read on a regular basis. I tend to spend most of my time reading business books, so in the summer I try to read an autobiography and a suspense novel. It helps me broaden my perspective on storytelling as a marketer and expand my horizons to help me connect with students.

5. Start a research project you are passionate about.

One of the best things about academic life is the freedom to pursue answers to questions that excite us. But even for those without heavy teaching loads, research often takes a back seat, especially post-tenure. However, pursuing a research project about something that interests us keeps us connected to our field and challenges us as people and professors. In the summer, design and start a research project that answers a burning question you have related to your field or teaching and learning.

While my academic research has mostly been related to the scholarship of teaching and learning or social media marketing in sport, I try to use the summer to explore something that is a bit outside my comfort zone. In the past, this has led to projects in mental health, diet and exercise, and sport leadership. This also gives you a chance to collaborate with new people, which expands your network and knowledge base.

6. Plan for the upcoming semester.

I know, I know the last thing many of us want to do is think about classes any sooner than necessary. But here’s the thing - we tend to teach the same classes over and over again, which can lead to stale lectures, basic assignments, and a lack of enthusiasm on our part. Once the semester begins, it is very difficult to make time to update our lecture materials or revise our assignments because meetings and email bog down our days. But, when we don’t update examples, insert new technology into our assignments, or consider new ways of interacting with students, it can lead to less engaging courses. If we are bored with our courses or just “check the boxes” when prepping them each year, it shouldn’t be any surprise to us when students lack enthusiasm or engagement as well.

I spend a few weeks in late July thinking about the fall and spring courses. I create lists of ways to improve assignments, ideas for engaging students in different ways, and areas that likely need updating. Then, I choose two or three new things to add to each course (such as new in-class activities, revisions to assignments, or new assignments) and update the first few weeks of examples in course lectures. That way, I can hit the ground running and avoid the temptation to just rinse and repeat.

7. Do something that challenges (or scares) you.

I have always loved the quote, "If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you." Summer is a great time to do something that makes you uncomfortable. The best thing about this suggestion? It can be anything you want it to be. In the past, I’ve traveled through the backcountry for a week with my friends, painted an entire garage myself, and taken a course on R. Sometimes the thing both challenges and scares you - and that really leads to growth!

Why does this matter? The young people we work with every day are entering a whole new phase of life. For some, this is their first time away from their parents and they don’t know how to manage their time, finances, or do their laundry. For others, they are balancing work and school to avoid taking on too much debt. Still others are athletes who are navigating the constantly evolving landscape of college athletics. The point is so many of the young people in our classes are doing challenging and scary things every single day. Reminding ourselves what that is like creates a sense of empathy and a point of connection that makes us better teachers and better humans.

The demanding academic year often leaves little time for personal development or professional growth. The truth is, the secret to most things in life is balance. In the summer of 2024, take time to relax and recharge while also investing in your professional development and research.