The first summer as a high school graduate. All the hard-work has officially paid off. Prom, graduation and the final goodbyes are behind you now. All that lies ahead is your future; college, new friends, saying goodbye to what you've known your entire life. But, before all that happens comes the best summer of your life. The last summer you get to spend with your family and friends before taking the most exciting journey of your life yet.
Coming from a washed-up high school grad, and now a soon to be college sophomore; here is what you need to do this summer before moving away to college.
1) Save your money
This may be the most cliche thing anyone has ever heard, but insanely true. Save as much money as you can this summer because the phrase "broke college student" is unfortunately one of the most accurate phrases to describe college. Don't buy the $10 shirt that you can't live without, save it for the $10 uber you'll be wishing you had the money for in 6 months.
2) Spend time with your parents
As exciting as it is for your parents to take this journey with you, it is the hardest thing they've ever had to do. Your parents have watched you grow and turn into the person you are today. It may not hit you until a week after you move in when you can't figure out how to do something how much you need your mom or dad; but use this summer to appreciate the time you still have living at home.
3) Hang out with your closest friends
This is your last summer with your friends you grew up with. They have been there through it all; the awkward stages, break ups, drama and everything else. Spend as much time as you can with them because your days are numbered until you barely get to see them throughout the year.
4) SLEEP
Sleep is a blessing in college. Sleep when you can and where you can for as long as you can this summer. 8 AM classes come faster than you think when you go to sleep at 2 AM. Take naps, sleep till noon, and enjoy your nice comfy bed that isn't almost ten feet off the ground.
5) Plan out how you're going to decorate your dorm
This may be more towards girls, but planning and decorating your room is definitely the most exciting part about freshman year. Plan out everything and rely on Pinterest for awesome ideas. Color code with your roommate if they are up for it! And as much as you want that $130 Kate Spade comforter... Settle for the $40 one, trust me.
6) Work out
The "freshman 15" is real. Very real. The temptations in the dining hall are impossible to avoid and the gym is the last thought in your mind after a long day of classes and homework. Before going away, get into the habit of working out daily and forming good exercise habits. This may help you avoid the dramatic scale-incline at the end of your first semester.
7) Make friends through social media
Making friends isn't exactly the everyone's favorite thing to do. College is a clean slate. No one knows who you are or where you come from, making it a great place for a first impression. Put yourself out there on the Facebook group or the app "quad". Having at least one or two solid friends going in to college is better than not knowing a single soul. You may even find your roommate!
Be sure that you soak in every single moment of this summer, because life will never be this easy again. Enjoy the time you get to spend with your friends who you've known since kindergarten, because soon enough you'll be hours away from them having to look forward to Christmas break before getting to see them again. This is one of the best summers of your life, enjoy it.
