So, it’s been about two months since summer break began, and if most of you are like me, you are definitely feeling the mini state of depression that I like to refer to as the summer slump. It is a three to fourth month period of time following the excitement of college when you find yourself in a constant state of perpetual boredom. Maybe it’s because our brains were in hyper-drive during finals, or perhaps it was because we were constantly surrounded by people and friends. Whatever the reason may be, the void that is unavoidably created during the lonely summer months becomes extremely daunting.
With most of our friends doing adult things, like working full time or having internships across the country, you definitely begin to realize how much you took for granted the minimal effort it took to be social at school -- like being able to walk out of your bedroom in your pajamas and finding your roommates in your living room waiting to discuss the trials and errors of the night before.
However, now you find yourself rather lonely. Netflix is the one true companion you can count on during the sweltering hot days. You can’t even remember the last time you put real pants on, and forget about even knowing what day of the week it actually is. While we might have dreamt about this perfect stasis of sleep and Netflix during our 48 hour study sessions before finals, we now find ourselves counting out the days until we can move back to campus.
To combat this mental slump I’ve created a list of seven productive things you can do to survive and make the most of your summer.
1. Do something you love.
Hobbies can be great, and they are often something we have to put aside during the school year to have time to balance all our classwork and a social life. So break out those stamps, knitting needles, that old writing notebook, or whatever it is that makes you smile!
2. Do something you don’t love.
Trying new things can be horrifying, especially if you’re someone like me who orders the same thing at every restaurant. But it can also be rewarding. You could head to the gym, or better yet, Starbucks has six new frappuccino flavors. Just an idea.
3. Get a job.
This might fall under the category of doing something you don’t love, which is why I paired them close together. But jobs can be great way to meet new people and gain some experience, and if nothing else, that extra pocket money can’t hurt!
4. Volunteer.
I can feel some of you cringing. If you had a similar Catholic school experience as I did growing up, then I’m sure the nightmare of the mandatory volunteer hours and the smell of fish fries still haunts you to this day. However, helping others is always a naturally rewarding experience, and there are a lot of fun volunteer opportunities. For example, you could volunteer setting up at a concert or playing with some kittens at an animal shelter. (I mean, who doesn’t love music and animals?)
5. Read a book.
And so the cringing continues. I know we’re in the phase of “Why not just watch the movie?” and “I don’t have the attention span to sit down with a book.” Call me old- fashioned, but I think there is nothing more satisfying than holding an actual, physical book in your hand. There’s always something for whatever you are interested in, and it’s totally relaxing to just take some time to yourself (and the book will forever be better than any movie).
6. Go somewhere new.
It could just be to the next city over. We often take for granted how big the world actually is. In college, especially, we often get trapped in the bubble that is our campus. Go check out that new restaurant downtown, or that new art show an hour away. Take your mom’s van, steal your friends, throw in some snacks -- just go and make a day out of it. Why not? Life is short.
7. Hang out with your parents.
Maybe this is something I’m just now starting to notice because of my lack of a social life, but my parents are actually kind of cool. And believe it or not, they’ve always had our back, even during the times when we pretended they didn’t exist or when we begged them to leave during freshmen orientation. All I’m saying is give them a chance, they might surprise you.
The bottom line is the summer slump is an almost unavoidable consequence for going to school somewhere you love. You’re going to miss your friends, your favorite professors, your meal plan, and maybe even some of that busy work. But summer is meant to be fun! It’s a time for you to focus on you and do all those things that can be difficult to manage on your plate during the school year. So get out there and have an adventure! Netflix will be waiting for you when you come home.
