Sunday, August 21 marks one week until my peers and I make our ways back to Franklin Pierce for the 2016-2017 school year. Excitement is building and nerves are kicking in. We have all been eager to get back to school, and some of us have rushed our summers away. I am urging you all to take this last week or two of your summers to make it count. In just a few short weeks you’ll be wishing it was summer again. Here are a few things you should do before you head back to college…
- 1.Go to the Beach
- 2.One Last “Hoorah” with the Home Squad
- 3.Play with your Dogs
- 4.Look at your Bank Account
- 5.Sleep In
- 6.Visit Grandparents
- 7.Thank your Coworkers
- 8.Spend Time with Family
- 9.Tidy Up your Room
- 10.Relax
- 11.Tell Mom and Dad You Love Them
Nothing beats a nice beach day, especially in New England. We are so fortunate to be able to have such a beautiful ocean to swim in and beaches to sink our toes into the sand. It is a rewarding experience, and one that is missed when fall and winter roll around. Take a day to go soak up the sun, get a little tan, and rock those beach waves. The only time you will regret a beach day is if you burn and become a lobster. Word on the street is sunscreen will prevent this.
This one is for the people who have kept you company all summer long. You may have gone crazy if they were not there to get you out of the house or talk about things with. This is the time to celebrate you and your group for the memories made. Toast to the good life, because what would life be if they weren’t by your side?
You know they are going to miss you like crazy and wonder where you went. The funny thing is you may not realize just how much you are going to miss them right back. No one is there to greet you with a sloppy kiss and a wagging tail when you enter the dorm room. If your roommate does that, head straight to res life… you have a problem that needs to be addressed!
Managing finances during school is a necessary evil. It is not easy, because when your friends want to run to Dunkin Donuts every day or to get food chances are you will want to go with them. It is hard to say no. Before you even go to school, see how much money you have. That way you will at least kind of know your limits and what you can afford. Most likely you will still spend way too much money at school, but hey you tried.
Pretty soon all you will find yourself doing is sleeping for a few hours a night. It’ll be back to procrastinating, late night studying, and endless Mario Kart Races with your friends. Life gets busy at school and sleep is always the first to be sacrificed. Sleep while you can, and enjoy your comfy bed!
Your grandparents are some of your biggest fans out there. They are rooting for you and all of your successes while you are away. Make sure to visit them a time or two before you go to school. They are going to miss seeing you pop in every now and again. Plus it is always worth seeing the smile on their faces.
These poor people have seen probably about every mood or emotion you have experienced. Yet, they still manage to accept you and help you feel like you are not a total nut case. This summer my coworkers have experienced “Happy Sami”, “Angry Sami”, “Annoyed Sami”, “Sassy Sami”, and so many more versions of me. You and your coworkers are a team and you all survived another summer. Thank you to all who helped me through it!
This is a time to make sure your family knows how much you appreciate them. Take time to have genuine conversations with your family and adventures. I hope my sister and I will find ourselves having one last late night Walmart trip before I leave. Don’t ask me why, but we have a great time on these little adventures. Weird? Yes. Still willing to do it? Duh!
This is just a tip to make the parental units smile. You won’t be home for a while. They may need to borrow your room for some extra storage or something. Either way, every time they walk past your room they do not have to be reminded of your poor cleaning habits. Let them at least think they’ve raised a tidy and clean kid.
It may be hard because you have so much on your mind, but it is really important that you relax while you are home. Pretty soon the stress will be out of this world. Before that all hits, it would not hurt to take some time to do nothing or say nothing. Silence can be relaxing and calming if we give it the chance…
It was another summer of your parents opening their home for you to return, they fed you, and let you use their Wi-Fi. Parents continue to be so supportive and loving. The least you could do is tell them you love them. It is the very least you can do. They deserve so much and you have so much to be thankful for. Mom and Dad, I love you so much!! Thank you for being a crucial part to my summer ’16, it has been a good one.
