You’re just finishing up your finals and the break starts next week. Admit it; you’re burnt out. You can go back to classes, late-night homework, and life-shortening stress, or you can not go back and still be successful. Yes, you can do that. Here are five things you can do next semester instead of going back.

Build a Website and Create Content

You need to start thinking in terms of value creation. Value for yourself and for people you want to work for. One way you can do this is by signaling to the kind of value you have. A website can do this. Here’s why:

Let’s say you’re an employer and in an application, a potential employee provides a personal website. You visit and find dozens of articles that demonstrate this person’s knowledge is intriguing. You find a portfolio with evidence that this person knows how to get things done. You’re impressed. What’s likely to happen then?

Having a website in any field will be impressive, so make one!  Here are some very basic steps:

1. Google “how to make a self-hosted WordPress blog.”
2. Learn independently.

Learning without a designated teacher will start to get you out of the schooled permission and dependency mindsets. You can do whatever you want whenever you want. Building a website will take you less than two hours and you’ll feel amazing when it’s finished. The first step is getting started.

Once you have your website, start creating content that’s relevant to what you care about. You’ll likely do this in the form of blog posts. If you’re into photography, write “6 Tips For Shooting Christmas Lights” article. Marketing? “Unorthodox Advice For the Modern Marketer.” How about orchestra? “How to Properly Clean a Viola.” You don’t have to love writing or even be an incredible writer. Just put something out there. It says a lot.

Focus on populating your website with content up front, at first. Once you’ve shown some expertise by filling your site with articles that matter, you can slow down with how often you make a post as long as you don’t allow your site to go static.

Apply to Praxis

Praxis is the best college alternative out there. The program will teach you how to effectively do whatever you want.

During the program, you’ll do much of what’s described in this article and immensely more. You’ll learn to escape the permission mindset and you’ll gain the skill to think and act independently. You’ll also be given access to one of the most incredible masterminds on earth.

Apply over the break. It’s a short but awesome application and filling it out doesn’t mean you’ve committed to anything. If you get accepted and don’t join, the application will get you thinking about yourself and what you care about. You won’t regret it.

Finish Projects That Will Signal Your Value

It could be anything. If you’re a photographer, make a goal to take and edit a certain number of excellent photos in one month. If you’re a writer, blog everyday for 30 days (everyone should do this, actually). If you’re into cooking, effectively learn 15 new recipes and document the experience. Do at least one project per month and make sure you write a blog post that details it.

This does two things:

1. You hone your skills and are more prepared to kill it at whatever you do.
2. Since you document whatever you do, you’ll be demonstrating what value you can provide to any business that visits your website. I recommend having a”Portfolio” page and provide links to portfolio blog posts.

On top of all this, portfolio projects should be fun because they should be exactly what you love to do. You can’t lose!

Learn a New Skill

Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn? Now’s your chance! With all that free time, you can learn whatever you want.

Sick of Ramen? Learn to cook!

Want to learn a language? Download Duolingo and go crazy.

Want to become a public speaker? You’d be amazed at what you can find online.

Photography? Good thing you’ll have all that extra money!

How about race car driving? Bring your car to your local driving track and many will teach you crazy driving tactics in your own car.

Golf? Stick shift? Mountain biking? Interior design? The possibilities are endless.

Read, a lot.

No, not textbooks. Good books. Books that will help you evolve into your best self. Start with How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and go from there. Read what makes you happy and what makes you grow. If you don’t knowwhat books, start researching. You’ll be more fulfilled if you find what you love independently and there are only so many books that will provide value to everyone. 

There’s so much value in reading. When you read, you expand your knowledge and your vocabulary. It’s relaxing, peaceful, and when you put down a good book, you’ll be even more ready to get stuff done. Not much of a reader? I would’ve said the same thing not too long ago. Reading changed my life and it can change yours too. Give it a shot.