The time is almost here. School is coming to a close, the sun is getting hotter, and finals are quickly approaching. Some students may be feeling comfortable with their grades, but there are quite a few who are about to freak out. Just breathe! Remember, as soon as those tests, papers, or projects are done, you are free and the summer is yours! Take advantage of whatever your summer entails. If you seem stuck, here are a few recommendations to make your summer the best yet.
1. Get fit.
Maybe you are already in the best shape of your life or perhaps the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior 15 have hit, but, for whatever reason, the summer is a great time to focus on your body. With no stressful classes, due dates, or tests to worry about, you can become the best you for you (never do it for anyone else). Most gyms have a deal for college students and the magical student ID that accompanies us everywhere we go, so take advantage of that! However, do not fret if you cannot afford a gym, there is the beautiful world around us for you to claim as your running ground. If you happen to be working, learn to do some yoga when you wake up, try core exercises, or take the stairs. All of these little things can help you come back to school next August ready to take on the rest of college and be more confident in yourself.
2. Spend time with family and friends.
If you are like me, then you didn’t choose a college close to home and you have a severe lack of TLC from your family and friends in your hometown. The summer is the perfect time to catch back up with them all and have that much needed face-to-face connection that has been taken away by distance. Try going to the beach, out to lunch, shopping, playing a sport, or having a day of the week to meet up with all of your friends this summer because pretty soon life will smack us in the faces and we will all be paying off our loans through merciless jobs. Don’t be a zombie and a slave to Netflix this summer, you do that enough on the weekends in your dorm. Socialize and reconnect with those who you love to be around.
3. Get outside.
I know that this may be similar to the suggestions above, but staying inside can make anyone crazy. Go for a walk, go to a different place, or maybe go to a new restaurant with outdoor seating or the pool. Right now, many of you are probably reading this article within the safety of your beloved bed, dorm, or perhaps your 11:00 a.m. lecture and you could use a tiny bit of vitamin D.
4. Go to a concert.
Concert season is something that I live for. Last summer, I saw Taylor Swift's "1989 tour" three times, the first being two weeks after school ended. Not only did it make it one of my favorite summers to date, but I had a bunch of fun hanging with my friends there. You get to dress up, dance with thousands of strangers, and then have the best sleep of your life afterwards. You might even get lucky and dance hard enough for it to be considered exercise without even knowing it.
4. Travel.
Budgets are crazy tight, but if you can, take some time to yourself and travel. Get away from the same old town and life and experience something new, even if it is only 20 minutes away and it happens to be a brand new food place. If you are like me and are stranded while at college due to being car-less, take advantage of your parents', friends', or siblings' cars and get out there. Some people are even lucky enough to have their family plan a vacation for them, which you need to take advantage of. Relax, reconnect, and don’t worry about the semester that's coming up.
5. Stay connected with friends in college.
I know very few people who go to my school and are from my state, which means that most of my friends live elsewhere. Summer is no excuse for you not to stay in contact with them. Try writing letters, posting goofy stuff on their Facebook page, or even Facetiming with them. These are some of the best times of our lives, our last little tidbits of freedom from the "man" and the real world, so use your numbered summer days wisely. I have friends who will soon be departing for their basic training at some base in Kansas. Others are going back to their home states of Washington, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or Florida. However, I consider myself to be close to them all and we will not let distance keep us apart. We are a fortunate generation to have so many opportunities at the tips of our fingers to stay in touch, so we should not let anything get in our way of doing so.
6. Have fun.
The summer can be filled with ups and downs, jobs and internships, the troubles of home life and the ease of no classes, but we must remember that, in a few years, we might not have the summers to ourselves. We might be working, starting a family, or even still in school. So, give yourself a little me time and try to have some fun. Read a book, get outside, and make some new friendships or make old ones stronger, just don’t let your summer slip between your fingers.
You can do this. You can make it through these next few classes and, once you do, the summer is yours.
