The ideal college summer has been portrayed time and time again in the media. Partying with high school friends and relaxing on the beach with no responsibilities has become our generation's expectation of summer. Other than being some of the greatest months of the year, summer has the potential to be a time of reflection and growth while still allowing us freedom and good times.
Our beautiful, lengthy college summers are numbered, so we should take full advantage of them while we can. When I moved back home from summer, my thoughts were consumed by how much I would miss my best friends, my boyfriend, and my college town of Wilmington. But I quickly realized that time alone isn't such a bad thing. For the first time in months, I could focus on myself and do what I never had time to do in college because I was too busy hanging out with friends or with my head in the books. I took the opportunity to reclaim my love of reading and get lost in a book series that I never had time to get around to. While revisiting old hobbies is a great activity, you can always cultivate a new one also.
Our summers give us the opportunity to reflect on the path that our life has taken. College years are times of uncertainty and adventure. Our lives are such a whirlwind that we seldom get the chance to process things, but summer finally gives us that chance. Whether it's a switch in majors, a breakup, or another big change, our heads can finally wrap around that change and allow us time to look back and process.
Chances are you're not going to be as close as you were with every single one of your high school friends. But you probably have a few friendships that have lasted throughout your college years thus far. Summer is a great time to catch up with them and share all of your crazy college stories. If you're an out-of-state student and most of your friends live near your college, you can always take a road trip to visit them sometime during the summer. Whether you're catching up with old ones or visiting new ones, friends make our summers worthwhile.
Making our summers as productive as possible puts us ahead of the game when we return to college. Internships related to your major and summer jobs are a great way to keep busy during the day. As a social work major, I shadowed at a hospital and had the opportunity to see what hospital social workers do on a day-to-day basis. Whether your a business major, biology major, or another major, there are always opportunities to intern or shadow. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there!
So, during your three months of freedom, remember to kick back, relax, and have a good time, but don't lose sight of what summer is really about: you.
