A true sign of summer is the silence rolling over a college town, as UHauls and parents' minivans drive away, without return for four more months. Summer, as children, was the best time, filled with swimming pools, ice cream trucks and summer camps. But now as college students, the summer seems to end up becoming the most dreaded time of year; the four months where every moment isn’t filled with friends, parties or fun. Summer usually becomes a dull routine of work, Netflix, eat and sleep. Summer can end up being incredibly boring or dull, but it doesn’t have to be! Summer can be filled with fun experiences and new adventures, summer can be dedicated to achieving a goal or spent mastering a hobby. After four months you can return to college with something cool to talk about, and not just how many shows you binge-watched on Netflix.
Plan a trip
Day trips are some of the most fun and non-stressful trips you can take! On a day off from work, fill your gas tank up and head off on an adventure! Explore a city in your state that you’ve never been to, or if you’re lucky and live close enough to other states, spend a few hours driving and go somewhere new! It’s easy to look up and find cool parts of your state that you’ve never been to, or even heard about. Check out “Weird USA” to find some cool mysteries about your state! Solo travel can be one of the most fulfilling adventures, people tend to learn more about themselves and feel a sense of peace being alone in some place new. If you don’t want to travel solo, going on an adventure with a friend or two can create a great day and even better memories!
Learn something cool
Ever wanted to learn how to code, or bake the perfect creme brûlée? Summer is the perfect time to teach yourself something new! With so many empty hours in the day, you might as well try to learn how to do something cool. There are hundreds of free things you can learn online, without having to spend a dime! The Duolingo App can help you re-learn the language you learned in high school that you more than likely forgotten! Even if its just spending hours trying to create the perfect party trick, you’ll be able to come back to school and show off a new talent.
Workout
Don’t lie, the drunk pizza slices and drinks that lead you to the drunk pizza did some damage to your body. College can ruin even the best diets. Spend the four months away from school, and late night pizza and fries, to work out and lose the dreaded Freshman 15 (or Sophomore 15 …). There are hundreds of online workout videos, for even the laziest of people; spend 15 minutes on Pinterest and you’ll probably find a work out suited for you. You know you wanted that summer body when you made that “New Year's Resolution” in January … you had better start working then!
Deep clean
When I packed up my stuff to move out of my house I could not imagine the amount of junk I had accumulated. I have more junk than I know what to do with, therefor my summer goal is to deep clean before I move back to school. I own so much clothing that I don’t wear I forgot I owned a vast majority of it. You can donate clothing to ThreadUp, an online consignment shop, or to stores like Plato's closet, Goodwill or any local thrift store. Honestly you will feel so much better after getting rid of all the junk you’ve accumulated. I can’t wait to deep clean my room and get rid of all the stuff I haven't touched in about four years.
Reconnect with old friends
Okay yes, high school sucked, but sometimes its nice to meet up with old friends. Grab a few old friends from high school and head over to your favorite after school place. Or grab a cup of coffee and chat with your old high school BFF that you haven’t really hung out with in two years. It's interesting to see how people change in college, and hear about the crazy adventures they’ve had while sharing stories of your own fun times. Plus it’s always fun to gossip about the people you hated (and still hate) from high school.
