It's August already, and all over the country, college students are anticipating the start of the new school year. But, maybe more important than that is the last few weeks of summer. Before you get too excited about moving back to campus, remember to enjoy the end of the break, and activities like these.
The end of an internship or summer job. Maybe this was the year you got the dream internship. Maybe you got to work in your field, or try out a job that might actually work out for you after college. Or maybe you just got to work with an incredible team of people. Whatever the case, be sure to make the most of your last days there. If it's something you're interested in coming back to next year, let your managers know. Consider using sites like LinkedIn to stay in touch or at least stay connected. And be sure not to let your work ethic slip, no matter how tempting it is when you only have a week left.
One last vacation or trip. It may sound good to try to stay home or lay low, saving a little extra money for school, or to not ask off work for a long weekend type trip at the end of the summer, but you should do it anyway. Soon enough, you'll be busy with school work and that can be harder to get away from than a job at times. Especially for college seniors, who are being hit with the reality that their last summer break is coming to a close, a road trip can be the perfect opportunity for memories you might not have the chance to make later.
Preparing for the move. While the move back to college itself can be a stressful process, there can be parts of it that actually don’t suck. Moves are stressful when you don’t pack up until the last minute, and end up finding yourself missing things or acing other mini-catastrophes. If you start planning for your move early enough, it could actually be fun. Spend some time during your last weeks of summer coordinating items with your dorm roommates, or shopping for furniture with people you’re sharing an apartment with. Look for sales to stock up on items to make your new place cozy, like candles or artwork. If you start early enough, then when it comes time to actually leave, the experience can be fun instead of frustrating.
Summer has come around for us college students every year, but we’re coming to a point where it won’t have the same appeal anymore. Soon, we’ll have graduated, and (fingers crossed) we’ll have full time jobs that deal with our degrees. Most of these won’t afford us the luxury of a three month vacation over the summer. So, even though you might be eager to move back to school and see all your friends again, and have the freedom of being away from home again, try to take a minute to enjoy these last weeks of summer. They won’t last forever.
