As we get older, our summers don't consist of soccer camps or swim practice in the morning and then spending the rest of the day at a friends house or at the pool. Our free time has lessened as we've had to take on summer jobs, but that doesn't mean you have to take away all the fun of a summer vacation. Here are some tips on how to balance your summer job while still having a good summer.

1. Plan your vacations and trips ahead of time.

Planning vacations are a very crucial thing to make the most out of your summer. Once you know about a trip you are wanting to take, it is very important to communicate with your boss about it. You do not want to be in the situation where you're unable to take time off because you didn't give your boss a warning ahead of time.

2. Prioritize your work.

Try to be as organized and responsible as you are for school. Getting your work out of the way will pay off in the long run when your friends have fun plans that you want to be a part of.

3. Make your free nights worth it.

Plan something fun and new when you have open nights. The worst thing is coming to the end of the summer, and being disappointed because you didn't do any of the fun things that you wanted to do.

4. Take advantage of your opportunities.

Make your job or internship worth it. Get the most out of it that you can so you start getting excited to go to work instead of dreading it

5. Don't waste your weekends.

Weekends are for relaxing, but also for doing all the fun activities that you don't have time for during the week. Having a complete summer is working hard during the week and then getting to play hard on the weekends.

6. Set priorities for your summer plans.

Summer is the time to do all the different types of things that you can't when you are away at school. It is important to set priorities for the things you really want to do because, of course, you can't do everything.

7. Keep in touch with friends.

It can be hard to keep in touch with friends because everyone is so busy. Make an effort to stay in touch with your college friends, and even plan road trips if you can!

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Summers may seem like they aren't as fun as they used to be, but I believe they have gotten better as we get older. There are so many great opportunities for young adults to take advantage of over the summer, and jobs and internships are the most important things.