Over halfway done with my last free summer. I have a lot of mixed feelings. Did I do enough? Am I enjoying it all the way I should? Once I graduate, real life starts. No more goofing off. So here's my advice to all the soon-to-be seniors in college out there:
1. Spend as much time with your friends as possible.
Seriously. You'll regret it if you don't spend time with your friends. For some of us, this may be our last summer home and unattached, so hang out with the friends from home you hardly ever get to see during the school year. So go to the movies, go bowling, go hiking, have a party, swim at midnight. Whatever it is you guys do for fun, make memories that are going to last a lifetime.
2. Binge-watch Netflix.
We all do it; it's okay. This is a summer for relaxation! Once you have a 40+ hour a week job, you won't be able to sit down and watch an entire season of a show in the course of two days. This may be your last chance, so live it up!
3. Have a bonfire.
Is it even summer if you don't have at least one really good bonfire? Get a group of friends together and have a good time eating junk food, roasting marshmallows, and drinking a few cold ones (if you're into that scene).
4. Lay out by the pool for an entire day.
When in life will you ever again have the time to relax for a whole day? Grab a good book, some sunblock, and lay out by the pool on the best day of the summer. Get a tan, get a good read in, and relax a little. Or, if you're really adventurous, invite a few friends over, break out the inflatable beachball, and have fun.
5. Get ice cream. All the time.
In Schenectady, the place to go is Jumping Jacks. Whatever it's called and wherever it's located, you know the place in town that has the best ice cream ever. Go there. Eat it. Never stop. Ice cream is the best.
6. Do something you've never done just because you can.
This one is all up to you. What have you been putting off because you're too busy, too tired, too ... something? Maybe it's hiking that Adirondack Peak you've never gotten to go up, or kayaking, or crocheting a hat - who cares what it is! This is the time to do it.
7. Appreciate home, because nothing will ever be the same after this year.
You're going to be a senior, and that means you're going to be a real-life adult pretty soon, so enjoy home. Enjoy free food, constantly-clean clothing, no bills, no responsibilities, and the opportunity to relax without a care in the world. Take it in now, while you still can.
