By Ally Jamah

With the national examinations over many free days lie ahead for thousands of candidates.

The question is what will you do with all the time in your hands, now that the busy school schedule is over?

Some are already thinking of using the time for self-development in preparation for the next stage of life but others just want to relax.

Whatever you do, avoid the following ten things.

Do not oversleep. True, you no longer have to wake up at 3am to cram but that doesn’t mean you should sleep until 11am.

"This is the time to show your appreciation for the efforts your parents made to educate and care for you. Offer to help with household chores and errands," says Ms Flora Ontiri of St Georges Girls Secondary School in Nairobi.

Beware of the friends you keep. Do your friends bring out the best or the worst in you? Do they encourage you to go for your dreams or prefer idle conversation, casual sex, alcohol and drugs?

The choice is yours. "Bad company reduces the best person to a failure while good company can make even an average person reach for excellence," says Ms Molly Jenners, a career counsellor with many books under her belt. Watching too much TV or movies is not healthy. Do not waste your entire day glued to the TV or watching endless movies just to "kill the time". Avoid the temptation to watch sexually explicit films because they could drive you to engage in unsafe sexual behaviour.

You are better off participating in wholesome activities like football or basketball games.

Avoid endless partying. Some student mistakenly believe the end of final examinations gives one a blank cheque to "have fun"— which usually mean partying all night, drinking alcohol and doing drugs. They realise too late that the feverish pursuit of "fun" often ends in disappointment and tragedy.

"Students have died from drunk driving and drug overdoses," says Maria Nvati, a teacher at State House Girls High School.

Do not rush to find things to do. Some students are in a big hurry to enrol for courses or find work without considering their career goals. Career experts say it is better to spend a few weeks meditating about your career plans and interests before making a decision.

Do not ignore opportunities. Seize the moment. Lazy students dismiss great opportunities because they are "enjoying" their holiday. That may not be wise.

Volunteer for work and activities that will boost your skills and character as you wait to join college or university.

Learning new skills. Learn skills that will come in handy in your future.

"You could take languages classes including French, Chinese and Arabic to gain a competitive edge. Computer courses add value to your life. Be guided by your career interests," says Margaret Ogunde, the senior career teacher at Starehe Boys Centre.

Learning never ends. Yes, you have completed school, but that does not mean you have the license to "burn your books", learning is just beginning. But this does not mean you curl up studying your class notes.

Read novels and other books that will improve your language skills and widen your world-view. Avoid trashy novels and magazines that trumpet vulgar pornography, because they will leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled in the long run.

Explore the world. Do not miss out on the chance to travel. Take advantage of the time to travel with your friends to the places you have always dreamt of seeing including those near your home. It could be inexpensive day trips to game reserves and other tourist attractions.

Visit a relative in another part of the country to meet new people and see new places for it will broaden your mental horizon.

Avoid sex. While it is healthy to make friendships with members of the opposite sex be careful about taking things to far.