It’s summer! You’ve decided to stick around your college town and take classes or work nearby. Yet, summer starts to settle in and you begin to realize how dead silent the town becomes. Friends are out of town and you feel like your stuck here by yourself. What can you do?
1. Get out of town!
It’s simple. Take some time away and leave for a day. Take day trips to other cities or new places. Find a new spot, hike a new trail, or go to a new bar or restaurant.
2. Don’t go anywhere at all.
Do you need to escape the constant grind of school and work for a while? Embrace the free time and stay in. Let yourself relax. As college students, sometimes we forget to do that.
3. Catch up on what you’ve missed.
Read through books you put aside all year. Binge on TV shows you’ve missed. We all know there are at least three shows to catch up on this summer.
4. Create a new project.
Need something to keep your hands busy? Learn a new craft, redecorate, or finish old projects.
5. Go outdoors.
Changing the scenery a little bit and surrounding yourself with nature can be a breath of fresh air after a long year spent inside.
6. Make new friends.
There are times when the silence of an empty apartment or the slow movement of a college town during the summer can become very lonely. Your coworkers and classmates who have stuck around are sure to feel the same way. Take the time to get to know each other.
7. Explore your own town.
During the year, it’s tough to make the time to discover new places; a routine starts to take over your life. There are many hidden and unknown places in every town. These places that can reveal new options and new favorites!
8. Volunteer.
Do you have extra time on your hands? Go out and help the community!
9. Try new food.
Go try new food or a new restaurant. Cook at home and make food you usually wouldn’t have time for. Are you on a budget? Discover ways to save and get creative—that’s what college is about!
10. Reorganize, reorganize, reorganize.
Whether you stay organized all year or expect to find yourself in the next episode of “Hoarders,” your room or your apartment will start to fill up with a lot of extra stuff during the school year. Sort through things and see what you can get rid of or what you can keep. It creates some extra space for the next year.
11. Don’t worry.
Yes, you might get a little bored at times or feel like the day never ends, but summer always goes by in a flash. Sometimes you need a reminder to take your time and enjoy it no matter what.
There is no reason to panic when summer feels a little dead. Embrace the sunshine and do what you can whether you're on your own or getting to know others who might be stuck in the same situation.
