Summer is finally here! The stress of classes and having to get up early are over, at least for a few months. It's time to relax, go on vacation, hang out with friends or maybe just sleep until two in the afternoon and finish every series on Netflix (twice). That sounds so appealing. I don't know anyone who would see that as a bad thing; however, how much of our summer can we devote to being carefree?

I'm sure we all remember summers when we were younger (elementary or middle school), when summer couldn't come fast enough, when we could sleep in until whenever we wanted but instead woke up early to get as much out of the days as possible, whether that was going to the local pool or just playing made up games with your neighbors. As we grew older, we realized that money is a wonderful thing but occasionally hard to come by. I'm sure many of us came to the conclusion that if we wanted more money to spend on clothes or food or anything else, we had to get a job.

Now that principle is even more present as we enter the collegiate life. Jobs are an essential part of becoming an adult (obviously) and as much as that might make the seventh grade version of ourselves the happiest little kid, it is a reality and many of us need money now more than ever because of impending college debts and keeping up with the average college lifestyle.

How much of our summers now can we dedicate to living carefree, bathing in the sun every other day? That is up to the individual, but this isn't an either/or situation. We can still carry out jobs and enjoy our summers, given that the sun stays up later each day as if to accommodate our activities. Minimum wage jobs may not be the most appealing thing ever, but they are a necessity for many college students. Try not to just go back to the job in retail or fast food service. Look for a job or paying internship that is in your major or field of interest, so that if you do have to give up some of your valuable summer, it's doing something that you enjoy doing.

It's important to work and have enough money to live comfortably in college, but it is important to enjoy your summer. So go out and get a job, and then live up the few months before classes start again. Visit friends on the weekends and lay out by a pool or beach even whenever you can—just make sure you're getting that paycheck every two weeks.