Useful things to do in Holidays for Virtual University Students

Semester breaks come twice a year for every university student. We at Virtual University, have off time between the semesters usually in the months of September and April for the Spring and Fall semester respectively. This break time between the semesters is a perfect opportunity for students to engage and participate in some useful activities that not only benefit your studies but also help in the practical career. 

I have made a list of some useful things to do for students in semester breaks. So if you're looking to make some use of your free time from the university, then the following list of useful activities is for you.

• Learn a New Skill

The most productive use of your free time will be learning a new skill. Whether you're into Photography or Graphic Design, whether you want to develop websites or be a programmer, whichever interests you the most, you should spend this time by learning it. 

Every skill can be learnt if you dedicate yourself to it and practice it enough. So don't doubt yourself whether you can do it or not, just give it a full go and learn your desired skill this semester break. 

To learn your desired new skill, you can either take a short course in a nearby institute (if available) or you can learn it online. There are tens of online websites where you can learn new skills, Google and YouTube should be the places to start your inquest. 

As a Software Engineering and Computer Science student, I have a few recommendations for CS students too. Following is a sub-list of skills especially made for Computer Science students, learning these set of skills will definitely be very beneficial depending upon your career choice and interests.

• Learn a New Programming Language

If you're a year old CS student, you've probably learnt C/C++ in your first or second semester already. So you have the basic concepts of programming, it is time to learn a new language then.

Learning a new programming language if you already familiar with one is very easy, because all the programming concepts and constructs are same, only the syntax slightly differs from one language to another. 

So if you seek a career in Computer Science, Programming, Building Software or even want to become a Web Entrepreneur or Freelancer, learnt programming languages will be an asset for you. 

• Learn Web Development

Web Development has been one of the top trending and rising industries in the past decade. Even if you are not to work as a Web Developer, learning the basic set of skills required for web development will prove to be very handy. 

At the very basic, you'd need to learn HTML, CSS and Javascript. And depending upon your interests, you can dive deep into back end development if you wish by learning server side languages such as PHP, Perl, ASP. There are many other languages too, but these will get you started in the field. 

In addition, depending upon your major subjects and career path, you can also take a short course or a MOOC in the following subjects.

• Networking
• DBMS
• Android App development
• Artificial Intelligence
• Robotics

• Build a Project

As a graduation student at Virtual University, mostly you'll have to make a project in your final year. But why not now? Analyzing you're already gained knowledge and acquired skills, you can make a fun project in this free time. 

This don't have to be a formal work(but it can be), but making a project you'll learn about a lot of practical problems and also how to sort them out. By doing this, you'll also be getting ready ahead in time for your final project and hence perform better in it. 

Whether its a web project(website), a mobile application or a small software you want to code. You must not hesitate yourself in engaging in such a venture, after all you'll only be gaining from this experience. 

At VU, most of the students want to create a website (and many do), so if you have an idea for a website, you should definitely give it a go. I at Virtual University Help Forum giveaway free domains and hosting to the active members, so if you're a ForumVU member, you can start your premium website for absolutely free. 

More Useful Activities

1. Job/Internship: If you're a senior student, especially in your last year of the study program, its time to start applying for Internship. Internships are very important nowadays, as you get experience which helps you in landing the perfect job quickly after you graduate. 
2. Watch Video Lectures of your next semester subjects. This is a very good option for first year students, this free time is a great opportunity to prepare beforehand. 
3. Relax: Finally, if you just want a break, its a great gap to relax. Go out, visit hill stations, explore the world and just chill the whole month. 

This was my few suggestions for things to do in your off time between semesters. If you have some more useful activities in mind, do share with everyone below in the comments. 

Cheers!