Is doing absolutely nothing during my summer as a rising junior really bad?

Career Opportunities & Internships
1

I finished my sophomore year exhausted after working two part-time jobs and focusing strongly on my academics so I idiotically did not apply to enough internships last semester and have nothing during the summer. I also could not get a job, especially one that would only hire me for two months.

I worked for one week with a film professor doing fieldwork abroad and am working a few hours remotely transcribing some video clips but apart from that I have just been wasting my summer away…

All I do is clean and cook and watch movies which I guess gives me some kind of homework as a film student. My mental health is also slowly but surely improving this summer, last semester I had severe mental instability and at least my insomnia is slowly going away this month. But I feel like this is going to affect me in the future. I’m also studying abroad next year and preparing my visa while traveling a bit around the country so I haven’t exactly been stable enough to apply for a small job or dedicate myself to volunteering.

I decided to take some art classes to feel somewhat productive and am going to try tackling a screenplay but I’m worried that I’m too behind on this kind of thing. I have never held an internship and I had a friend almost decline her application to study abroad in Oxford because she feared she was going to miss out on internship opportunities, so I’m a bit scared about being so inexperienced…

As a film student, is my slacking off too bad?

2

Knowing when you need to focus on self care is smart. You also aren’t wasting your summer by taking art classes and working on your screenplay.

3

I think you’re just fine. It sounds like you have a full resume without this summer. Take good care of yourself and if you could swing taking the summer off, good for you. You’ll be working the rest of your life.

4

Sounds perfectly fine. Better to take some time off than risk a burnout.

5

You are concerned about two very important matters. You just need to prioritize them wisely–which I think that you have done. Your mental health & well being should be, and is, your first priority. Although internships offer work experience & employment opportunities, internships are secondary to your state of mind & mental health.

Every individual is different. Go at your own pace. The journey is more important than the destination with respect to your situation. You are doing the right thing.

6

Agree with above posters. 2 of my kids needed a summer of doing less to heal from traumatic events. Self care and mental health is the priority.

7

You need time to decompress. Not over-stressing isn’t bad, it’s normal.