The summer after freshman year is taking off in full speed. We’re only a few days into it, and I’m already experiencing some things I had been warned about, so as the heat of it approaches quickly, here’s some advice:

Good grief, get a job. We, as students, are so used to being so busy, going 24/7, and having a million things on our minds. Yes, it’s tempting to want to do literally nothing all summer, but trust me, you’ll get bored. If you need a break to rest and not think for a week or two, then don’t start a job right away. But try to not let yourself just sit around.

Try your hardest not to avoid people from high school. I am the number one guiltiest person when it comes to this. If I see someone in Walmart I went to high school with, I duck down behind that shelve of chips and sneak out the side exit. I do not want to talk to those people-that’s why I went to a school four hours away. But, you all went through a major part of life together. It won’t kill you to stand and talk to them and figure out if they’re loving life and ask how their mom is doing. Be kind and civil-there’s no need to be a jerk.

Make plans to meet up with friends. Thank goodness my roommate and other close friends from college only live about an hour and half away. We’ve already planned weekend trips to see each other, and have group texts and collaborative Pinterest boards to plan our room for next year. It’s definitely hard not having friends down the hall anymore (especially when you want to borrow their clothes), but it’s only a few short months and technology is awesome.

Hang out with your family!!! They have only seen you a few weekends the past ten months, and have only talked to you on the phone a couple of times. Fill them in on your life! Tell them stories about your life at school-how you always eat the pizza for lunch and how annoying that one professor is. Then, listen to their stories! My siblings are all in different grades under me and have so many things going on in their lives that they want to tell me about. Just sit down and catch up.

Don’t try to unpack everything. There are some things you just are not going to need. I do not need four hundred binders and paper clips, and I also do not need to unpack every single pencil I brought back because I promise you, I won’t be needing ALL of those. Don’t make more work for yourself in August when you have to pack up a bunch of stuff you didn’t use all summer.

It’s an adjustment moving back after living “on your own” at college, but it’s really not that bad. You’ll fall back into a routine and old habits before you know it. Meet up with your best friend, talk about your year at school, and make some new memories.