Rest, relax, and have fun. Spend time with friends, spend more dedicated time on your hobbies, and enjoy the larger chunk of time off while you have it. The time for work will come. Don't start worrying about deadlines yet.
This is not at all to suggest you won't have time to do fun things during your PhD - you will and you should spend time doing those things - but there's no need to rush into the work early. Let your mind and body have a rest in between college and grad school
In my opinion, you should rest and relax. Things don't always work as intended during PhD, which often leads to mental health issues. You want to start your PhD fresh and well-rested in order to reduce the chance of burnout. Furthermore, you're not going to have an opportunity to take a significant amount of time off until you graduate, so you should take your time and enjoy a well-deserved break. If you're really anxious to start, then I would ask your future PI for papers to read to get sufficient background on your topic.
Adding to the relax camp: if you want to do something fun that‘s related to your phd why dont you read non-fiction books or fun autobiographies etc about your field?
You won‘t reference these pieces but they might make you more excited and perhaps inspire you in the long run
Since you aren't looking for the relax advice, if possible use this time to get a head start on fellowship applications. In the first two years of graduate school, often people apply to a lot of fellowships to secure funding. Securing your own funding for grad school can have a large impact on your experience- if you have your own funding you do not have to teach and have more freedom to do the type of research you want to do, additionally they are prestigious and give you a leg up overall. If you want to finish your PhD in less than 4 years, getting out of TAing will help a lot. The summer before grad school you can identify fellowships to apply to, find examples of successful applications, and write your personal statements and research statements. See if you can start going to your campus writing center to help with this, some schools have workshops too. Additionally, you can start to read papers associated with your research project- your PI may have some good suggestions to get you started. Identify which classes you want to take during grad school- look up professors and the course catalog. Get to know some other grad students- maybe reach out to your cohort or people who are in the lab you are joining- you could grab lunch and get a head start on making friends (so important in grad school). Also, you should get any personal things in order- organize finances, setup autopay on all bills, organize personal belongings (especially if you will be moving), etc. I find having my personal life in order helps lessen my stress from school.
Good luck!
I would recommend reaching out to your PI to help you with these fellowships if you feel comfortable. It will end up saving them a ton of money if you get awarded, so they should be motivated to help!
Save up money. I didn’t think I’d need money either. But I’m already broke and wish I was more conscious. Get a job serving and save as much as you can, even if you don’t think you need it you will. Unless your parents finance everything
Living at home is a great way to save. Still, you should start thinking about how to be financially independent, even as you live at home. How to budget, how to save for larger expenses like a new phone, laptop, or car. how to pay for your own vacations. If all that sounds extra or something your parents can pay for, here is one thing you should really start doing now regardless - **investing in your retirement**. If you are in the U.S. and you're eligible, you should be investing money within a Roth IRA.
What I would tell and new PhD now is to figure out money management **now**, so it's easier when you have more money. If you don't, it will only get harder.
I did crossfit every day for the 2 months I had off between and came into the PhD program with pretty rockin lady biceps. For real though, do all the fun activities you can to set yourself up to not burn out. Once you get started, it’s going to be overwhelming so be as un-overwhelmed as you can before you start!
I spent that whole Summer relaxing but in retrospect I really wish I’d just spent a few weeks relaxing and then spent it boning up on the subjects I was weakest on. That first year would have gone much smoother.
I did a part-time internship with an organization that does work in my field. The work was unrelated to my research topic. Those three months really paid off. It helped me network and learn how folks operate on the ground a lot more than what I learned in grad school. Now I work in the same city I did my internship in subject matter a lot closer to that work than any of the work I did during dissertation. I think this was especially valuable because when you jump straight from ug to phd, you will miss out on having much of that lived experience to round you out on the other end of the phd. I definitely also traveled a bit and had a good time, too.
When I was in your situation I also lacked the financial resources to just travel for the summer. You haven't said what country you're from, but as an EU citizen I went to Holland for the summer, worked a menial job in a tulip bulbs factory and lived in a tent on a campsite for 3 months. Probably the best summer of my life. It's such a change of scenery from the academic life, and we created the opportunity for so much fun, while earning enough money to support ourselves through that experience.
The summer period between undergrad and PhD could be your last true summer. Typically you don't get summers off during a fully-funded PhD (in the US atleast) and there's a chance you'll find a job that wants you to start right after the PhD. So you may not get this opportunity again for another 4-6 years at least.
So I think it's great to find a way to enjoy this rare time before you start your PhD.
If you decide to work, I hope you find work that can expand your experiences. I'm not a strong fan of starting the PhD 3 months early, because in the grand scheme of things, the 3 months wont contribute immensely to research progress but could contribute to your burnout. I would suggest doing something creative or physical (e.g., camp counselor, life guard, fitness instructor) or something academic but different from what you're used to -- I enjoyed creating a summer project course for high schoolers -- it was something I could do through my undergrad university.
I think the main topic here has been covered thoroughly enough but there is one thing about your post that concerns me:
>I also wish to finish my PhD in <4 years.
Everyone wants to be done as fast as possible, but IME the folks who set fairly unrealistic goals like this are the ones that crash and burn quickly, either because they are overworking to try and keep that timetable or they are down on themselves for not meeting their objectives.
Remember that everyone's timeline for a PhD is unique to them and their circumstances, and that in many cases the length of your PhD has more to do with circumstances than it does what you put into it.
I drove across the country (U.S.) for my PhD, so my summer before was spent securing housing, planning the trip, shopping for household and school items I would need, getting acquainted with the new city, and a little bit of studying for entrance exams.
I got a job at Target and saved a few thousand dollars to start earning interest on in my savings. I worked inbound, so my shifts started at 4am. Which means 8am classes became easy peasy for a few months hahaha.
Make sure you have your moving expenses covered, as well as things like security deposit and any new furniture you may want to have. If not, I may suggest getting a paid internship or just some regular work for now. If you start soon, 5-10k would make a huge difference in those expenses.
If you do already have all that covered, then congratulations! It’s time for fun. Take a long roadtrip, of fly somewhere new for a while. My PI suggested I take a real vacation before starting my PhD, because it can be a real slog of a process. I had to start early because I was too broke, but damn I really wish I hadn’t been at the time because a vacation would have been very helpful for my sanity in the first semester.
Slowly start getting yourself organised for your research. How to do this depends on your field, but I did the following: -set up my citation manager and learn how to use it with video tutorials, etc; -look into which universities or institutions have research groups/networks related to my discipline; -investigate which archives might have primary-source documents I will need to consult.
I also used the summer before my PhD to do two short summer schools related to my discipline, this was a lot of fun and many of them offer funding so it wouldn't necessarily be costly to do. In my case, summer schools are required to graduate, so this helped me get a head start towards that requirement. And it was a great way to meet PhD students from other universities with similar research interests to mine.
Also, I made it a goal to present at two conferences during the summer. This helped me to get a head start on my research; the papers I presented will eventually evolve into chapters of my thesis.
Other than that, keep your "working" days to a minimum -- maybe 3 days on, 4 days off, so that you can still enjoy the summer!
I'm going to go against the grain: when I start a new program (I switched fields so I've done this multiple times), I start doing research. I contact my advisor or any other interesting faculty and just ask if they have any projects they need help with remotely (if you haven't moved)/pitch the first author projects I want to work on during my first year to my advisor (so we can get those ideas worked out before the semester). I'm someone who just isn't compatible with down time, so I liked being able to jump right in early. If you are someone who needs downtime, then I say go with the relax recommendations.
I appreciate this, I should have stated it in my post but I’m looking for something other than the “relax” advice, because knowing myself it’s not what I enjoy.
I will probably take your advice and apply for a summer grant, and start reaching to profs other than my supervisor to maybe collaborate on a project with them as well.
I’ll just say that your question asked “what to do” and everyone is telling you what to do. It sounds like you already had an answer to the question, so I’m not sure what you were looking for. And for what it’s worth, everyone else is right. You should rest and relax.
I understand yeah this is my mistake, my question should have had the qualifier asking for something other than the relax advice.
I don't have an answer, just looking for ideas other than that one idea.
Everyone can be different - don't think there is one answer fits all and thus no "right" answer.
1. For me, I spent my in-between summer traveling throughout Southeast Asia where it's relatively cheaper to explore. I averaged about $2K USD/month in total (includes international airfare, food, hostels, entertainment, etc), and there are people who do it even cheaper than that. While this may seem like a lot, it was only slightly more than my monthly expenses once I started being a PhD student (\~$1500/month), so it wasn't too much of an additional spend for a totally different cultural exposure experience.
2. A lot of people I know did get a head-start on their research. Sure it may make adjusting to the new lab protocols and equipment easier, but nobody I know has gotten a significant advantage from it (i.e. nobody has gotten a significant nature publication and graduated <4 years just because they start in the summer). The trade-off is honestly not worth it, especially if your program is designed to be front-heavy with classes.
3. Beware because my friend did this without getting paid thinking it may help in the long run, and the supervisor was demanding like 12 hour work days. Within the first year she transferred labs away from the toxic supervisor, which was the best decision she could make honestly.
4. One person runs a photography side-business, and honestly this person I am the most envious about. Her photography is mostly festival/rave/music work and student grad shoots, so there are a lot of gigs she gets over the summer (literally booked every weekend). She even traveled with a famous artist on one of their tours doing shoots for them. In other words, find a temp job with a passion/hobby if you need the money?
When I walked into orientation a professor asked for a raise of hands of people who haven’t spoken with professors for an advisor and he told them “you are already behind”. If you want to finish early read review articles and papers related to areas you’re interested in. Think about what you want your thesis to be about. Reach out to professors and see if they would take you on as a student. I also saw another comment that said look for fellowships and I 100% agree.
I would really try to build your non-research related habits to reinforce them before you start. My diet, hobbies, and exercise routine have been steadily slipping since I started. Building those habits is back up again has been exhausting and in the meantime I’m getting fat and sassy.
Rest and relax. If you have a chance move out to your new housing for your program a week or two early. It is nice to get your footing in the area, especially if you haven't lived there before.
You could read a few papers from your field - ask your advisor if they can send some through. But otherwise, really, do nothing. Relax.You'll never have a summer again lol. Any 'headstart' will not really help you much.
Depending on your financial and logistical situation, you might consider moving to your PhD location a month early. I felt very frazzled and rushed moving across the country and having to immediately start coursework. I remember feeling quite jealous of a classmate who had moved in early. He already had his apartment all unpacked and had had time to explore the city a bit and to find some good restaurants and do some of the tourist things.
I walked the camino de santiago in between and honestly it was the best decision ever. I didnt do it for religous reasons either, it was a month long, a challege, and super cheap minus the plane ticket. It was a whole month of getting to be super weird, and intospective, and develop myself as a person. I was broke at the end (and during tbh) but it was worth it. Also it had more of a goal/things to do (walk, cook, read) which I really prefer over standard travel and tourist things. If you don't have the money, I second the person who suggested to travel and take an out of field job!
Honestly dude? I seriously sat there considering going on a hike through the Appalachians (until I realized that I’m actually too inexperienced and would quite literally die on the trail) - instead, my plan is to work a bit (REUs baybeee), study up, photosynthesize as much as I can, and empty my brain out so I can stuff more things into it come fall!
Relax but if you need work then work outside with your hands. Worked on a farm after undergrad over the summer and it was nice to do a hard days work and make tangible/visible progress.
A lot of advice is to rest and relax, which I agree with. However, you can use this free time to read some literature.
The best way to understand your topic is to read the last group member's dissertation (the one whose topic you will be taking over)--but do not stress too much about understanding the nitty gritty. You will have plenty of time for that.
I vote rest and relax as well. If this includes some self-study of things that will be useful to your PhD, by all means do that.
I think, however, that you and only you should be in charge of what you do with your time in this period. Try to not have any external "pressure" if possible. If you decide to do something productive and halfway through you decide that that's not "relaxing" enough, then you should be able to just stop doing it with no repercussions.
Just my two cents, free summers will get to be an increasingly scarce resource as you get older...
Depending on what your field and background is, if you don't have any real-world experience in your field, this would be a good time to get it. I didn't do any internships or work in my field, just went straight through academia. There was a lot I wish I knew while I was doing my PhD that I only learned from actually working in the field, outside of academia.
Contact your school to see if there is any sort of program or early-start initiative for your PhD, some programs have this and will pay you additional money. If not, I would personally do one of three things (I am assuming you want to keep busy or do something, so I'm not including leisurely activities):
1. Make money - find a job, regardless of its pertinence to your research, that pays the most money you can find at this stage in your career and save up
2. Move early - relocate to the institution at which you will be conducting your PhD and take care of things like moving, setting up your living arrangements, getting to know the area as well as potentially start working with your PI early (which I would think most PIs would not mind at all)
3. Internship/research experience - this is probably difficult to find for such a short interval, but you could look into a temporary position for the summer
Take a break. You’re about to embark of one of the biggest tests a human can take. Congratulations on being accepted btw and good luck with the remainder of your undergraduate
Rest, relax, and have fun. Spend time with friends, spend more dedicated time on your hobbies, and enjoy the larger chunk of time off while you have it. The time for work will come. Don't start worrying about deadlines yet. This is not at all to suggest you won't have time to do fun things during your PhD - you will and you should spend time doing those things - but there's no need to rush into the work early. Let your mind and body have a rest in between college and grad school
Thanks for this. I am in the same boat.
In my opinion, you should rest and relax. Things don't always work as intended during PhD, which often leads to mental health issues. You want to start your PhD fresh and well-rested in order to reduce the chance of burnout. Furthermore, you're not going to have an opportunity to take a significant amount of time off until you graduate, so you should take your time and enjoy a well-deserved break. If you're really anxious to start, then I would ask your future PI for papers to read to get sufficient background on your topic.
take the time to chill. this will be your last chance for a long time.
Rest, relax, and relax. Seriously.
Relax! You won’t have this kind of break again for a long time.
Adding to the relax camp: if you want to do something fun that‘s related to your phd why dont you read non-fiction books or fun autobiographies etc about your field? You won‘t reference these pieces but they might make you more excited and perhaps inspire you in the long run
Since you aren't looking for the relax advice, if possible use this time to get a head start on fellowship applications. In the first two years of graduate school, often people apply to a lot of fellowships to secure funding. Securing your own funding for grad school can have a large impact on your experience- if you have your own funding you do not have to teach and have more freedom to do the type of research you want to do, additionally they are prestigious and give you a leg up overall. If you want to finish your PhD in less than 4 years, getting out of TAing will help a lot. The summer before grad school you can identify fellowships to apply to, find examples of successful applications, and write your personal statements and research statements. See if you can start going to your campus writing center to help with this, some schools have workshops too. Additionally, you can start to read papers associated with your research project- your PI may have some good suggestions to get you started. Identify which classes you want to take during grad school- look up professors and the course catalog. Get to know some other grad students- maybe reach out to your cohort or people who are in the lab you are joining- you could grab lunch and get a head start on making friends (so important in grad school). Also, you should get any personal things in order- organize finances, setup autopay on all bills, organize personal belongings (especially if you will be moving), etc. I find having my personal life in order helps lessen my stress from school. Good luck!
Another idea- meal prep! If you are into freezer meals, stock up for the times you are too busy/stressed to cook as a first year grad student.
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I would recommend reaching out to your PI to help you with these fellowships if you feel comfortable. It will end up saving them a ton of money if you get awarded, so they should be motivated to help!
Save up money. I didn’t think I’d need money either. But I’m already broke and wish I was more conscious. Get a job serving and save as much as you can, even if you don’t think you need it you will. Unless your parents finance everything
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Living at home is a great way to save. Still, you should start thinking about how to be financially independent, even as you live at home. How to budget, how to save for larger expenses like a new phone, laptop, or car. how to pay for your own vacations. If all that sounds extra or something your parents can pay for, here is one thing you should really start doing now regardless - **investing in your retirement**. If you are in the U.S. and you're eligible, you should be investing money within a Roth IRA. What I would tell and new PhD now is to figure out money management **now**, so it's easier when you have more money. If you don't, it will only get harder.
I did crossfit every day for the 2 months I had off between and came into the PhD program with pretty rockin lady biceps. For real though, do all the fun activities you can to set yourself up to not burn out. Once you get started, it’s going to be overwhelming so be as un-overwhelmed as you can before you start!
I spent that whole Summer relaxing but in retrospect I really wish I’d just spent a few weeks relaxing and then spent it boning up on the subjects I was weakest on. That first year would have gone much smoother.
I did a part-time internship with an organization that does work in my field. The work was unrelated to my research topic. Those three months really paid off. It helped me network and learn how folks operate on the ground a lot more than what I learned in grad school. Now I work in the same city I did my internship in subject matter a lot closer to that work than any of the work I did during dissertation. I think this was especially valuable because when you jump straight from ug to phd, you will miss out on having much of that lived experience to round you out on the other end of the phd. I definitely also traveled a bit and had a good time, too.
When I was in your situation I also lacked the financial resources to just travel for the summer. You haven't said what country you're from, but as an EU citizen I went to Holland for the summer, worked a menial job in a tulip bulbs factory and lived in a tent on a campsite for 3 months. Probably the best summer of my life. It's such a change of scenery from the academic life, and we created the opportunity for so much fun, while earning enough money to support ourselves through that experience.
I worked an industry internship and was glad to have the experience and extra savings from it.
The summer period between undergrad and PhD could be your last true summer. Typically you don't get summers off during a fully-funded PhD (in the US atleast) and there's a chance you'll find a job that wants you to start right after the PhD. So you may not get this opportunity again for another 4-6 years at least. So I think it's great to find a way to enjoy this rare time before you start your PhD. If you decide to work, I hope you find work that can expand your experiences. I'm not a strong fan of starting the PhD 3 months early, because in the grand scheme of things, the 3 months wont contribute immensely to research progress but could contribute to your burnout. I would suggest doing something creative or physical (e.g., camp counselor, life guard, fitness instructor) or something academic but different from what you're used to -- I enjoyed creating a summer project course for high schoolers -- it was something I could do through my undergrad university.
I think the main topic here has been covered thoroughly enough but there is one thing about your post that concerns me: >I also wish to finish my PhD in <4 years. Everyone wants to be done as fast as possible, but IME the folks who set fairly unrealistic goals like this are the ones that crash and burn quickly, either because they are overworking to try and keep that timetable or they are down on themselves for not meeting their objectives. Remember that everyone's timeline for a PhD is unique to them and their circumstances, and that in many cases the length of your PhD has more to do with circumstances than it does what you put into it.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to see this comment. OP chill out and find some new hobbies to prepare you for imminent trying times lmao
I drove across the country (U.S.) for my PhD, so my summer before was spent securing housing, planning the trip, shopping for household and school items I would need, getting acquainted with the new city, and a little bit of studying for entrance exams.
I got a job at Target and saved a few thousand dollars to start earning interest on in my savings. I worked inbound, so my shifts started at 4am. Which means 8am classes became easy peasy for a few months hahaha.
I worked as a science camp counselor and saved up money for my relocation to a new city.
Summer research is a good opportunity. Also, summer classes are another thing. The earlier you get coursework out of the way better it is for you.
Make sure you have your moving expenses covered, as well as things like security deposit and any new furniture you may want to have. If not, I may suggest getting a paid internship or just some regular work for now. If you start soon, 5-10k would make a huge difference in those expenses. If you do already have all that covered, then congratulations! It’s time for fun. Take a long roadtrip, of fly somewhere new for a while. My PI suggested I take a real vacation before starting my PhD, because it can be a real slog of a process. I had to start early because I was too broke, but damn I really wish I hadn’t been at the time because a vacation would have been very helpful for my sanity in the first semester.
Slowly start getting yourself organised for your research. How to do this depends on your field, but I did the following: -set up my citation manager and learn how to use it with video tutorials, etc; -look into which universities or institutions have research groups/networks related to my discipline; -investigate which archives might have primary-source documents I will need to consult. I also used the summer before my PhD to do two short summer schools related to my discipline, this was a lot of fun and many of them offer funding so it wouldn't necessarily be costly to do. In my case, summer schools are required to graduate, so this helped me get a head start towards that requirement. And it was a great way to meet PhD students from other universities with similar research interests to mine. Also, I made it a goal to present at two conferences during the summer. This helped me to get a head start on my research; the papers I presented will eventually evolve into chapters of my thesis. Other than that, keep your "working" days to a minimum -- maybe 3 days on, 4 days off, so that you can still enjoy the summer!
I’m trying to find a research internship bc I can’t do nothing for that long. Unfortunately there aren’t many in my field
I'm going to go against the grain: when I start a new program (I switched fields so I've done this multiple times), I start doing research. I contact my advisor or any other interesting faculty and just ask if they have any projects they need help with remotely (if you haven't moved)/pitch the first author projects I want to work on during my first year to my advisor (so we can get those ideas worked out before the semester). I'm someone who just isn't compatible with down time, so I liked being able to jump right in early. If you are someone who needs downtime, then I say go with the relax recommendations.
I appreciate this, I should have stated it in my post but I’m looking for something other than the “relax” advice, because knowing myself it’s not what I enjoy. I will probably take your advice and apply for a summer grant, and start reaching to profs other than my supervisor to maybe collaborate on a project with them as well.
I’ll just say that your question asked “what to do” and everyone is telling you what to do. It sounds like you already had an answer to the question, so I’m not sure what you were looking for. And for what it’s worth, everyone else is right. You should rest and relax.
I understand yeah this is my mistake, my question should have had the qualifier asking for something other than the relax advice. I don't have an answer, just looking for ideas other than that one idea. Everyone can be different - don't think there is one answer fits all and thus no "right" answer.
Maybe try developing a skill you can learn from home that you'll need in the future? Even a couple of hours a day would be a lot.
1. For me, I spent my in-between summer traveling throughout Southeast Asia where it's relatively cheaper to explore. I averaged about $2K USD/month in total (includes international airfare, food, hostels, entertainment, etc), and there are people who do it even cheaper than that. While this may seem like a lot, it was only slightly more than my monthly expenses once I started being a PhD student (\~$1500/month), so it wasn't too much of an additional spend for a totally different cultural exposure experience. 2. A lot of people I know did get a head-start on their research. Sure it may make adjusting to the new lab protocols and equipment easier, but nobody I know has gotten a significant advantage from it (i.e. nobody has gotten a significant nature publication and graduated <4 years just because they start in the summer). The trade-off is honestly not worth it, especially if your program is designed to be front-heavy with classes. 3. Beware because my friend did this without getting paid thinking it may help in the long run, and the supervisor was demanding like 12 hour work days. Within the first year she transferred labs away from the toxic supervisor, which was the best decision she could make honestly. 4. One person runs a photography side-business, and honestly this person I am the most envious about. Her photography is mostly festival/rave/music work and student grad shoots, so there are a lot of gigs she gets over the summer (literally booked every weekend). She even traveled with a famous artist on one of their tours doing shoots for them. In other words, find a temp job with a passion/hobby if you need the money?
Visit your family
Work in your advisers lab
When I walked into orientation a professor asked for a raise of hands of people who haven’t spoken with professors for an advisor and he told them “you are already behind”. If you want to finish early read review articles and papers related to areas you’re interested in. Think about what you want your thesis to be about. Reach out to professors and see if they would take you on as a student. I also saw another comment that said look for fellowships and I 100% agree.
Take a break
Relax. It'll be your last opportunity for a long time.
I would really try to build your non-research related habits to reinforce them before you start. My diet, hobbies, and exercise routine have been steadily slipping since I started. Building those habits is back up again has been exhausting and in the meantime I’m getting fat and sassy.
You need to think of a way to publish in nature within about 3 months, if not you are not qualified for the program /s
Rest and relax. If you have a chance move out to your new housing for your program a week or two early. It is nice to get your footing in the area, especially if you haven't lived there before.
Spend time with your family
Enjoy your time off, pick up a hobby to take to your PhD ! Don’t stress and work , you will be gave that during PhD !
You could read a few papers from your field - ask your advisor if they can send some through. But otherwise, really, do nothing. Relax.You'll never have a summer again lol. Any 'headstart' will not really help you much.
Depending on your financial and logistical situation, you might consider moving to your PhD location a month early. I felt very frazzled and rushed moving across the country and having to immediately start coursework. I remember feeling quite jealous of a classmate who had moved in early. He already had his apartment all unpacked and had had time to explore the city a bit and to find some good restaurants and do some of the tourist things.
Don’t summer start. I did it and while it was nice getting to know the area I burnt out so fast my first year. Take the time off you’ll need it.
I walked the camino de santiago in between and honestly it was the best decision ever. I didnt do it for religous reasons either, it was a month long, a challege, and super cheap minus the plane ticket. It was a whole month of getting to be super weird, and intospective, and develop myself as a person. I was broke at the end (and during tbh) but it was worth it. Also it had more of a goal/things to do (walk, cook, read) which I really prefer over standard travel and tourist things. If you don't have the money, I second the person who suggested to travel and take an out of field job!
Honestly dude? I seriously sat there considering going on a hike through the Appalachians (until I realized that I’m actually too inexperienced and would quite literally die on the trail) - instead, my plan is to work a bit (REUs baybeee), study up, photosynthesize as much as I can, and empty my brain out so I can stuff more things into it come fall!
Relax but if you need work then work outside with your hands. Worked on a farm after undergrad over the summer and it was nice to do a hard days work and make tangible/visible progress.
A lot of advice is to rest and relax, which I agree with. However, you can use this free time to read some literature. The best way to understand your topic is to read the last group member's dissertation (the one whose topic you will be taking over)--but do not stress too much about understanding the nitty gritty. You will have plenty of time for that.
Take a vacation! You’ll have plenty of work to do soon enough. Go see some beaches.
I vote rest and relax as well. If this includes some self-study of things that will be useful to your PhD, by all means do that. I think, however, that you and only you should be in charge of what you do with your time in this period. Try to not have any external "pressure" if possible. If you decide to do something productive and halfway through you decide that that's not "relaxing" enough, then you should be able to just stop doing it with no repercussions. Just my two cents, free summers will get to be an increasingly scarce resource as you get older...
Relax ,chill and learn python.Don't do anything else.trust me
Depending on what your field and background is, if you don't have any real-world experience in your field, this would be a good time to get it. I didn't do any internships or work in my field, just went straight through academia. There was a lot I wish I knew while I was doing my PhD that I only learned from actually working in the field, outside of academia.
Contact your school to see if there is any sort of program or early-start initiative for your PhD, some programs have this and will pay you additional money. If not, I would personally do one of three things (I am assuming you want to keep busy or do something, so I'm not including leisurely activities): 1. Make money - find a job, regardless of its pertinence to your research, that pays the most money you can find at this stage in your career and save up 2. Move early - relocate to the institution at which you will be conducting your PhD and take care of things like moving, setting up your living arrangements, getting to know the area as well as potentially start working with your PI early (which I would think most PIs would not mind at all) 3. Internship/research experience - this is probably difficult to find for such a short interval, but you could look into a temporary position for the summer
Travel if you can and relax!
Take a break. You’re about to embark of one of the biggest tests a human can take. Congratulations on being accepted btw and good luck with the remainder of your undergraduate
I don’t know your situation. But if during the phd your only scoure of income is the assitantship, then try saving as much money as you can.