vacation is not just for leisure

Soon all students will be on holiday. For some it is the long vacation, yet for others it will be only two months before they head back to school for a new term. How you spend your time during the long holiday goes a long way in impacting either positively or negatively on your future. To many students, this is the time they do away with anything academic-related and only focus on fun activities. But it is a wise idea for a student to engage in activities that will keep you academically connected.
According to Dr Grace Lubaale, the head of department of Development Studies Kyambogo University, though vacation is meant for students to relax their brains, it is also important that their brains stay academically active. He says an active brain is more placed to grasp things faster and reason better when school resumes, compared to that which had refrained. He observes that some institutions give pre-entry examinations, which might be challenging to a relapsed brain.
“How will you perform in the pre-entry exams at Law school if you had discarded off anything to do with academics during vacation?” he asks.
Henry Ssali Sentongo, the head teacher of St Johns Secondary School, Mukono, says students need to interest themselves in meaningful learning activities during vacation.

He explains that this does not necessarily mean attending school or revising seriously, but just getting an activity that will keep the brain connected during that free time.

Read something exciting
Sentongo says students can use their vacation to read something interesting. He says this does not necessarily have to be school related.
“Get any book that interests you and read it, as you enjoy it, analyse and figure out its theme. This will help you keep a fresh and alert brain,” he says, adding that it will in the long run improve on your reading ability. There are public libraries across the country which students can visit free of charge and some where they can pay a small fee.
In Fort Portal for instance, students are charged Shs1,000 to access the public library for a week.
“During my Senior Six vacation, I only paid Shs50,000 as fee for the whole vacation, but visiting that Fort Portal library helped me read so much literature,” says Derrick Mwikyo, a student at Kyambogo University.

Computer studies
It is a fact that most schools have computer classes to expose students to basics. But it will not hurt a student to enroll for a short course and learn packages beyond Word and Excel.
Chris Sserubibi, a lecturer at YMCA, Mukono, says there are various packages that can be of much help in the course of their studies such as Excel. He explains that a full package of computer lessons can go for Shs250,000 a month at the association depending on how fast an individual learns.

Practice writing
Dr Lubaale says the more you perfect your writing the more you will quickly sail through your academic work. He observes that writing skills are even more important for career success. “Join essay writing competitions while in your vacation. Try to look out for people who write well and find out how they do it as you try to up your skill too,” he says.

Train in a vocational skill
Steven Mbuga, the principal Baroma Vocational Training Institute, Mukono, says having a vocational skill is very important in Uganda today. “There are short courses that range between three and six months, including hairdressing, bakery and decoration, among others. Students especially those in Senior Six and Senior Four vacation should enroll for these simple courses. at our institute they are government-sponsored and we admit on first come first serve basis,” he explains.

Volunteer
Mbuga adds that holidays are a great time to volunteer and that there are many options out there where students can volunteer rather than sit idle at home. The Uganda Red Cross Society, for instance, usually has volunteering opportunities.
“You should also use volunteering as an opportunity to network with people that may be of help to you in future. If your volunteer work exercises a skill you enjoy but rarely use, it can help preserve and stimulate your mind,” he says.

Visit a college or university
Sentongo says students need to visit colleges and tertiary institutions they can easily access and get acquainted with what happens in those institutions early enough.
“Colleges and universities are full of youth, passion, knowledge, and potential; visit one in your area. Learn about the courses and programmes offered, and get a feel of the university culture,” he says.
Mbuga adds that it is never too early to start thinking about your future career.
“Reach out to your relatives, family friends, teachers, and neighbours and ask them if they would be willing to share their experiences and insights. Set a goal for this vacation to talk to at least one adult a week about career options,” he advises.