Summer is a great time to relax and take a break from the stress of UC Berkeley. Yet if you didn’t get an internship, then chances are you are spending your summer watching Netflix on a couch and feeling jealous of all the cool things your friends are doing. Don’t say you did nothing this summer! Here’s a list of things you can learn to show off or at least make your life better this summer.

The Berkeley bus schedule

Chances are you have waited for a bus longer than you wanted to. If you learn the schedule of a bus you regularly take, then the chances of you missing it and waiting in the hot sun become almost zero. You can also play it off as a psychic power and try to impress your friends with your bus-predicting prowess.

How to handle the heat

Even though it usually stays fairly cool in Berkeley, there are the occasional days when the heat can be a lot to handle. Figuring out what keeps you cool during these hot days will keep you happy and comfortable while your friends sweat it out. Tips for doing this include bringing a water bottle and walking at a leisurely pace in the shade when possible.

How to cook your favorite meal

This summer you might be staying indoors at home with your parents watching more Netflix than you’d want to admit. Why not take advantage of that situation and learn how to make that favorite childhood dish that always makes you smile? And afterward, you can show your friends the superiority of your family’s recipes.

Play a musical instrument

Learning to play a musical instrument while taking classes is a surefire way of pissing off roommates. But if you are staying at home alone during the day, why not finally learn that musical instrument? You won’t annoy anybody and can show off at frat parties — maybe you’ll get good enough that you won’t even have to know a brother to get in. 

What interests you

You can’t go wrong learning something you are interested in. If there is something you want to know how to do, then figure out how to learn it, be it a new language or how to talk to new people. If you don’t know what interests you, then why not go out and learn everything.

So don’t let the summer waste away. Instead take the time to make yourself a little cooler. Your friend might have stories of Peru, but you have a new skill you can use way more than stories about Peru.