On the last day of your freshman year, as you say good bye to your friends, finish off final exams and pack up your freshman dorm, you can’t prevent thinking about all the time you have a head of yourself for summer. In high school, you thought 2 and a half months was a long time. But in college, having over 3 months of vacation is a much needed break! As hard as it is transitioning back home after living on your own for 9 months, there are a lot of positive things that come out of summer break for a college student.

Nothing beats coming home and seeing friends you went months without seeing. It truly is crazy how even though you go so long without hanging out with them as often as you did in high school, that seeing them after so long doesn't play a toll on your relationship; it’s as if you just saw them yesterday! It is a great feeling getting back in the groove of doing everyday routine things with them as well as fun adventures. Everything from concerts to mini golf to cliff jumping, I could not have asked for a better summer spent with my best of friends. Can't wait to do it all over again with you guys over fall and winter break!

Besides how hard it was getting back to working everyday, working was much needed this summer. Prior to my freshman year of college, I never noticed how much money I would actually spend throughout the whole year. I thought books and the occasional meal and Starbucks would be all that I would have to worry about.. WRONG. I noticed very quickly that money was being spent on subway tokens, adventures in the city and shopping. So this summer, I never appreciated work as much as I did these last few months. As it was a pain working 2 jobs, it all paid off!

Hands down the best part of my summer was being surrounded by my amazing family. Yeah, it for sure wasn't easy going from having all the freedom in the world to following their rules when living back at home for the summer, but the home cooked meals and just their constant presence makes up for all of that. As hard as it was too balancing time with family, friends and working, you learn to really cherish time spent with family. Nothing quite beats movie nights with family, hanging out with my siblings and enjoying a morning cup of coffee with my dad. Those small moments will be what I miss most this upcoming year back at college.

One doesn't quite appreciate summer months spent at home until they enter college. You quickly realize it is much more than 3 months without school.. it is quality time spent with friends with family as well as appreciating the hours put in working. You learn too that no matter the distance between friends and family when at school during the year, true relationships will never change. I can’t thank everyone enough who made my summer the way it was. Regardless of the occasional up and down, I would not have done anything different over the last 3 months. Thank you, Summer 2016! Until next May..