This article was written by our writing leader Jenni. Get to know our Summer 2018 Leaders here!

Summer is almost here! Summer can be the best time of your life, but it can also be one of the most boring time of your life. Especially if you run out of ideas of what to do. Here’s 7 things you can do over the summer.

Stock Up on Your Selfies

Summertime has the best lighting. Every angle looks good when the lighting is there to accentuate your natural beauty. Dress up in different outfits and pose in front of a nice background. Have a friend take pictures at different angles. This can be extremely helpful if you have a theme for your Instagram. If you’re feeling extra, you can hire a photographer.

Apply for Scholarships

Scholarship is just another word for free money. If you’re a currently in 9th grade, more than likely you are qualified for tons of scholarships. There are scholarships for just about anything. If you’re an ethnic minority, there are scholarships for you. There are scholarships for people whose parents didn’t go to college. There are scholarships for just about everyone. Some require essays, while others are simple and just require your name and GPA. There are even scholarships for people who don’t do well in school, who wear glasses, and for those that wear braces. One year, KFC was offering 10 scholarships and only 4 people applied. The money got split between the four people. There didn’t even need to be an elimination round. A couple of links that provide scholarships are linked down below. These are only a couple of links. There are so many more scholarship search engines.

• Unigo.com
• Fastweb.com
• Scholarshipowl.com (They provide a paid service to apply to scholarships on behalf of you)
• Niche.com
• Cappex.com

Work at a Kids Camp

There are many camps over the summer that are lacking staff members. Try and find camps nearby and ask if they are offering jobs. You’ll have a great time, work experience and money to buy the things you want. If you’re younger, you can attend a camp over the summer. These programs are full of friendly people and create amazing memories.

Scavenger Hunt

Summer is one of the best times to host a scavenger hunt because the weather doesn’t restrict where you can go. There are amazing ideas that you can find for a scavenger online. You can do it at the mall, the pool, the beach, even in the mountains. If you’re older, you can have the scavenger hunt across the city as a treat for your significant other. It’s great for groups of friends. You can divide up into teams and put your thinking caps on.

Start a YouTube Channel

People may think that YouTube channels are hard to make and maintain, when all it really is is a time commitment. In the summer, you can brainstorm ideas and stock up on videos. YouTube channels are most successful when you upload consistently. This way, during the school year you don’t have to take time to make and edit videos. You can just take the time to upload them. You can even make money off of YouTube, although YouTube has set standards on how many views and subscribers you need before you start monetizing your video. You can edit your video using free apps from the AppStore, or you can use iMovie, which comes with the new iPads, and FinalCut Pro.

Volunteer

Volunteer! It’s a great way to give back to your community. There are lots of programs in your area that you don’t even know about. In certain areas, there are even search engines for volunteers. You can just type into google “volunteer for youth [with your state]” and thousands of nearby places will pop up where they are looking for volunteers for people your age. Hospitals often times look for volunteers to play music in the lobby for the patients. More than likely, your area has a youth city council program that invites young people to learn more about the government and to volunteer for their city events. If there is a festival coming up, contact the coordinator and see if they need volunteers.

Go to your local zoo or aquarium.

In the day and age of technology, the zoo and the aquarium are one of most neglected places. They have beautiful animals and exhibits. It’s a great place to hang out with friends and meet new people. It’s a good way to go outside during the summer. On cool days, you can go to the local zoo so that it’s not hot and you’re not melting. On hotter days when you can fry an egg on the sidewalk, go to the aquarium where it’s air-conditioned. Tickets are relatively cheap. If not, you can find coupons online.

What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer? Comment below!

If you liked this article, you might also like:

• 4 Tips to Help You Focus in Time for Finals
• 5 Songs to Pump You Up for Summer
• How “Wuthering Heights” Changed My Life
• 5 Things to Know about Olivia Cella
• 3 Things to Know about Jet Jurgensmeyer’s Latest Single

Check out Everly Mag on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

Featured Image Credit: Jenni, Writing Leader at Everly Mag