I remember like it was yesterday, high school graduation, that is. My closest friends and I lined up on stage to receive our diplomas, singing our school song as the tears streamed down our cheeks but with the biggest smiles stretching across our faces. The summer going into college was one I will never forget either. However, if there is one summer that I would expect to be better than the summer after high school, it's the summer going into my senior year of college.
This past May I watched some of the most special people in my life graduate from Sacred Heart University. As we said our goodbyes and took endless pictures to celebrate all of the memories we made the past few years, I came to realize that in one very short year, I too will walk across that stage and will have to say goodbye, yet again, to my best friends. However, saying goodbye will be different this time.
Saying goodbye to college means saying hello to adulthood. It means spending countless hours sending out resumes to an endless list of possible jobs or graduate schools. I once thought of summer as a period of time where Mondays felt like Sundays and ice cream was acceptable for any meal of the day, but in one year this will no longer be the case.
Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t take the summer before your senior year of college for granted.
It’s going to be the last summer without major responsibilities.
After graduation, the least of our financial troubles will be the cover charge at Johnny Utah’s. Right after we graduate we will be coming home to student loans and drowning in thousands of dollars worth of debt. Go on a weekend vacation with your friends while you still have the money and buy a new bathing suit for the weekend while you’re at it.
Spend so much time with your friends.
Who knows where you all will end up one year from now. Senior year will be the last time you all live in the same place. Spend as much time with them as you can for you could be in different parts of the country in less than a year. After you graduate college, you might not have the opportunity to drink piña coladas with your roommate in the middle of the afternoon ... on a Wednesday.
Get an internship if you have the opportunity.
Future employers are going to want to make sure you have proper experience when it comes to applying for a job. Getting an internship may seem like the last thing you want to do during the summer before adulthood, but you are wrong. Internships will open up future opportunities and help make connections. You will also meet new people who are in the same position as you. It will be nice to make a new friend who is thinking about their career, but is also thinking about having an unforgettable summer as well.
Sleep in late.
A standard job is 9-to-5, at least, which means you can say goodbye to sleeping until the mid-afternoon and say hello so the Dunkin' morning rush. Seriously, the worst part of waking up early to go to work is not the lack of sleep, but the line at Dunkin Donuts. After an eight-hour day the idea of staying up late sounds like the idea of working out, you really want to do it but you know you just can’t.
Appreciate days off.
If you do not currently have a summer job I hope you are making it up for the rest of us, spending every sunny afternoon on the beach. Not to say that you will never see another day off as an adult, but they will hold a different meaning than they do now.
Spend time with your family.
Just like your friends, I hope you spend as much time with your family as you could. These are the people that have watched you get to this point in your life. They are the ones who have cheered you on, supported you and never gave up on you, even though you might have given up on yourself. They will miss you the same, if not more, then your friends will. As much as they want you to succeed and be happy, it’s going to be hard to watch their child face the real world, also known as a world without mom’s cooking. Dedicate a few days off to them because they deserve it, not to mention it might be the last few times you can squeeze out a $20 bill from your dad’s wallet.
Travel.
The summer before the fall semester will most likely be the last longest break you will have in a long time. It would not be a bad idea to take this opportunity to travel or study abroad. Traveling and seeing new places is an incredible experience. Doing it now while you still have the energy and time is the perfect idea.
Live carefree.
Whether you’re working in an office, at summer school, traveling the world or sitting on a beach, don’t let worries or stress ruin your summer. You have the rest of your life to be stressed and God knows there is going to be plenty to worry about in the time a head of us this upcoming senior year. Make every memory count, and start making this summer the best one yet!
