Winter Break Activities and Suggestions
The extended winter break this year is a great opportunity to catch up on sleep and refresh yourself mind, body and soul. College of Engineering Student Development team also thought our students would appreciate some suggested activities and “things to do” to enhance your knowledge in the Complete Engineer competencies and develop future career skills. These suggestions and recommendations were solicited from engineering faculty and staff. Enjoy!
Inclusive Excellence
Activities/Suggestions:
- Spend some time exploring and addressing your implicit or unconscious bias through this short evaluation: Take A Test
- Reach out to an inclusive RSO on your campus and consider joining them in the Spring. Some examples would be Out in Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math (OSTEM), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic and Professional Engineers (SHPE) / Latinos in STEM (LSTEM), or Sociey of Women Engineers (SWE).
- Spread the word about contributions of diverse engineers online by telling their stories in places like Wikipedia, Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.
Books:
- Don't Label Me: An Incredible Conversation for Divided Times by Irshad Manji
- Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And other conversations about race by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum
- Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcom Gladwell
Self-Management & Leadership
Activities/Suggestions:
- Create SMART goals to plan ahead for Spring semester. Consider areas such as planning ahead for your degree progress, the road to getting an internship, strategies for academic succes, and other ways you want to expand your involvement on campus. Setting SMART Goals - How To Properly Set a Goal (animated)
- Explore around the Learner Lab website to learn more about the power of a growth mindset. The Learner Lab
- Invest time in learning the basics of personal finance through The Financial Diet
Books:
- Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Communication
Activities/Suggestions:
- Challenge yourself to join a Toastmasters club to improve your public speaking in a supportive environment. Toastmasters
- Pick up some quick but effective tips on communication through this TEDTalk.
- Sign up for an entrepreneurship competition or event to share your innovative ideas.
Books:
- How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work by Liz Fosslien & Mollie West Duffy
Teamwork
Activities/Suggestions:
- Seek out fun activities such as board games and/or video games that emphasize teamwork and cooperation. Board game examples: Pandemic, Hanabi, The Crew, Space Team. Video game examples: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Among Us, Portal 2
- Explore joining a competition team, or other student group, that engages in teamwork and group activities: Student Involvement
- Explore your own personality type and explore others that may differ from your own: Personality Types
Books:
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues by Patrick Lencioni
Professionalism & Ethics
Activities/Suggestions:
- Listen to these ethics focused podcasts: The Ethics Experts or Examing Ethics
- Evaluate your personal values or take this online personal values assessment.
- Watch "The Good Place" on Netflix and reflect on your own ethics.
Books:
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age by Matt Richtel
Civic Responsibility
Activities/Suggestions:
- Do something helpful for someone you typically don't think about helping: Be My Eyes
- Spend time volunteering at a local nonprofit. Find opportunities to volunteer.
- Look in to joining an activity that works with youth (K-12) to help educate individuals about the STEM field.
Books:
- Frugal Innovation: How to Do More With Less by Jaideep Prabhu and Navi Radjou
- Wine to Water: How One Man Saved Himself While Trying to Save the World by Doc Hendley
- The Control of Nature by John McPhee
Maximize your Finals: Test prep tips
UNL Academic Success coach Robert Russell offers easy-to-implement tips on prepping for tests, note-taking, study skills, and much more.
