It just dawned on me today that in a little over three weeks I will be back at my beloved university for another year. As excited as I am about going back, it doesn’t seem like I have been home for almost four months. It seems like only yesterday that I was procrastinating packing up my dorm room and yet here I am starting to pack things up again.

We all had that adjustment period when we first got back home. We are so used to being on our own and being our own boss. When we get home however, some of us are back in the house that we grew up in and parents who still believe that we are the same person that we were before we left. Being on your own is a liberating feeling that can’t be compared to anything and when you lose that sometimes it’s difficult.

In these four months I have grown up as person, and reevaluated the things that I truly wanted in my life. I have also gotten close to some pretty amazing people — people that in the beginning of the summer I wouldn’t have guessed would make leaving so difficult.

Summer is a great time to make the money that we all desperately need when we are back at school. I spent most of my summer working, so I did not have the time to do many fun things. In a way though, that’s okay. I would rather have a summer in the real world than one that is living in fantasy.

One thing is for sure though — no matter what year you are, there is nothing like summer. Most of the responsibilities and stressors that come with college aren’t there anymore. You get to be free and take the well deserved break that makes you ready and driven for the semester.

It’s important that we all take advantage of what is left of the summer — because when we are pulling all-nighters cramming for finals or midterms we will be wishing that we were back to this summer.