What to do in summer after graduating?

I’m a graduating senior and I’m looking for something to do over the summer before college. I want to do something related to my career, so mechanical engineering. I probably won’t do a summer program since I’d likely have to pay for it, which seems like a waste of money for a graduating senior. The only exception would be if it’s a cheap/free program, I think my only options are a research internship/fellowship at a local college, contacting professors that stuff. I could also look at a specific company’s internship listings. Besides these, I don’t know what else I could do.

If you can’t find anything career-related, get a job, any job. Then your resume won’t be so empty when it’s time to apply for real internships.

For me I would do practice problems and get ahead in calculus 1. For example, this coming summer I will be sitting in a class (calculus 2) so I can get a little ahead and know what to expect when I take it in the fall. maybe go to a local college and ask a professor if he can let you sit in one of his classes

@bodangles I already have a part time job I can do over the summer, but it’s not career related, which is why I’m looking for something else