We’ve had the day marked on our calendars for months, counted down the days, and hoped it would come quicker, and now it’s officially here, summer. But as the post-finals excitement dwindles and the reality of friends dispersing back to their perspective hometowns hits, it can be easy to fall into a “now what” summer rut. Here’s a list of things to keep you busy and having fun no matter what your summer entails.

1. Start a new project.

What better time to commit yourself to undertaking that project you’ve been meaning to do than summer? You have three uninterrupted months to give the project the time it deserves. Redecorate your childhood room to reflect your newfound maturity? Learn French? Take up knitting? You finally have time to devote to something you want to do.

2. Make a lifestyle change.

Everyone always says you have to get in shape before summer in order to achieve the perfect beach bod, but summer is actually the perfect time to make that lifestyle change and get healthy. Whether you’ve been living off a college kid budget and junk food is all that's been on the menu, or have just been skipping the gym because of your busy schedule, returning home gives you a chance to detox and kick start your healthy lifestyle. It takes 21 days to get in the habit of doing something, so why not use summer break as a way to perfect new healthy habits?

3. Take a class.

Yes, okay, I know, it’s summer break, but hear me out -- you can get those dreaded core classes over with in half or even a third of the time. Chances are your university accepts transfer credits from your local community college for basic lower division core curriculum. Why not save some money and time by taking the classes over the summer? Just make sure the class transfers before enrolling to avoid wasting your precious summer.

4. Make bank.

Sure, it won’t be your most enjoyable summer, but you’ll be thankful for the extra cash during the school year when everyone can afford to go do something incredibly fun that you would otherwise have to pass on. There’s nothing worse than being left out because of a lack of funds. Putting in the long hours this summer will definitely pay off later.

5. Take a trip to visit your college friends at home.

What’s better than getting to see your friends from school in their natural habitats, awkward family photos and all? It’s a win-win; you get to visit your friends and secure the perfect embarrassing photos for their birthday Instagram post. Bonus if you get to watch the home videos.