Every time I come home for summer break, I always have to make the best of my time, and I know I’m not the only one who has to do so.

There’s only 3 short months that you get to spend at home, and you probably have to learn to balance a million things in the short time you’re given. You have to make enough time to catch up on your sleep, see your friends, make money, and find time to enjoy yourself as well. And if you’re like me and try to travel a lot, you often have to squeeze in all those other things in order to make it work with your time that you won’t be around. This is something that I feel on a personal level, especially being in Spain for the next 6 weeks. I had to find the time and make a web of plans in order to have time to do everything I wanted to do before and after my trip, and still be fully prepared for my trip.

Here are some ways to make the best of your summer if you’re anything like me and have a life that never slows down.

1. Make plans in advance

This seems like it’s redundant, but it really is important to be able to see and do all the things you wanted to while working around the rest of your busy schedule. If it’s helpful, you can even put your plans on your calendar on your phone so you don’t forget when you made plans with your BFF to get mani/pedis, or so you don’t schedule your doctor’s appointment on the day of your aunt’s birthday. Planning is SO IMPORTANT for maximizing your time in the summer.

2. Prioritize

If something or someone is important to you, and you know you want to get to see them, make sure you prioritize what you need to do, and in what time period, and make time for those things that are important to you. (see #3)

3. Make time

This is similar to making someone a priority, but there is really no such thing as “too busy”. If it’s something you want to do, you will find time in your day to get it done. Don’t make a person in your life feel like they aren’t worth your time because even if you work full time and have a lot of other responsibilities, you can make time for the things that are important. (Also, you should make time for these things so you have some entertainment and fun in your life apart from the mundane things that bore you to tears- sometimes you could even take a personal day and get your things done.).

4. Do things that can be done on the go

This can be related to making time on your lunch break to meet up with someone, even if it means you take them to the store with you because you have to buy a new shirt. This can also mean saving time by doing things all in one shot, like stopping at a few different stores in the same day, rather than going out multiple times in a week.

5. Make memories

A lot of times while you are rushing through your summer trying to get everything done, you may forget to enjoy the things you do as you’re doing them. Take time to enjoy the little things like going to see the sunset, or going out to eat with friends. These are times you may end up missing if you let the summer fly past you.

Summer can be a crazy time, and it’s even harder as you get older and start to have more responsibilities. This doesn’t mean that you should start to hate the idea of a busy summer, it just means you have to think of more creative ways to make the absolute best of the time you are given!