Summer can be great, because you have tons of free time to hang out with friends, explore cities and towns, travel, find adventure, make money, gain experience; the list goes on. It is prime time for doing everything you have wanted to do but didn't have time for. But there is a certain kind of pressure that comes with the season. You feel pressured to do everything you have been putting off because of school, and your never-ending bucket list has to at least have a couple of things crossed off.
For me, this makes summer a little less enjoyable.
Not only this, but as soon as you reach college, you are expected to also be working, or gaining experience in your field of study, or holding down an internship. This in itself is stressful and adds work to your summer, which restricts the time you have available for the previously said fun things you were planning to do. Internships are, first and foremost, difficult to acquire, and after that, they are such a time commitment that they prove to be a source of stress in many instances. Who wants to be stressed during summer, when you are supposed to relax?
Now, I'm not hating on summer at all, I really do enjoy it. However, being at school offers so much more for me. First, you are constantly learning. I may be a try-hard or a nerd or whatever you want to call me, but I love learning new things. I take classes that interest me just to learn about a new subject, I read textbooks, at times because I find them interesting. I search information on the internet because I crave knowledge. Although you can definitely find resources online, the environment of having a professor directly imparting knowledge to you is invaluable. With still a month to go before classes start, I find myself craving the learning I do during the year and wishing for it to begin again. I feel that during the summer, my brain becomes somewhat stagnant.
College also gives you a solid schedule to follow. During summer, it is easy to procrastinate things, put off projects, and bum around all day. During the academic year, there is always a place to go, people to see, and things to do. I miss the bustle of school (despite the fact that it can get stressful). It forces you to actually do things, get out of bed, and accomplish something.
Summer also makes me appreciate the friends I have made during the year. At the present moment, most are far away, and it just makes me realize how much time I spend with them and how excited I am to see them again. At college, my life is constantly social, (especially in the case of Greek life--shout out to my fellow Pi Phis, I love and miss you all!) and summer can get lonely. The crisp fall air, social nature, intellectually stimulating atmosphere, friends abounding, and general activities make me crave the start of the fall semester.
I know it may sound strange, but bring it on, Northwestern; I can't wait to be cursing your name once again amid piles of work.
