By: Victoria Zervoudis
As college students, summertime tends to be a tentative, relaxing, exciting, and questioning period of time. There are so many possibilities of what to do to fill the time between each school year: internships, jobs, vacationing, relaxing, productivity, etc. How do we know what to do first? What is the “right” thing to do?
In my personal opinion, there is no “right” way of having a good summer. To me, a good summer is made up of what makes an individual happy, satisfied, and content with this time on their hands. Of course, everyone has a different life, some responsible for certain things that others may not be. The consolation I wish to provide with this list is the idea that no single person lives life by the same freedoms, restrictions, routines, and responsibilities; but, I find great comfort in this fact and aim to create a conversation that resonates with many people, all of us distinct beings.
Here are some ways to live out summer in ways that work for you:
#1 Soak up family time
Once college begins, work makes its way into your everyday life, independence comes in, and the reality of time management is brought to the forefront of each day. I find that the school year makes for a time where quality, focused family time comes to a bit of a slow, and I personally find great happiness in spending the time I have off with my family. Family dinners are much more present and there is time and space to make for adventures.
Whether this be trying new restaurants, sitting on one’s couch and playing board games, laughing for hours, watching movies, going on walks, having picnics, seeing new places and things, and more, this time is precious and should be overflowing with joy-filled happenings and excursions, family time being one of the greatest facilitators.
#2 Get organized (in all departments)
In my personal experience (and a number of others, I can imagine), I have lots of free time in the summer. Even with work and summer classes, usually between college years, there is a lot of time where one can find themselves doing nothing. While relaxation is crucial, I think this is a great time to get organized; whatever this may mean to you. Whether it is deep cleaning your space and purging items that no longer serve you, reorganizing setups in your home, writing in a planner each day (even when your only task is laying in bed), getting your work done in a timely manner, cleaning up carefully and mindfully, or setting up for the next year (or day), getting organized does so much good for you, your space, your mind, and those around you. I also find that it is relaxing and puts my mind at ease, which is a plus. Organization comes in all shapes and sizes, and you know what will be most rewarding for you.
#3 Learn something new
There are so many ways to learn, more than one may think, myself included. In the generation that we are in, there is so much information right at our fingertips: “google it!” There are many ways to learn new things, whether this be doing something as simple as going on YouTube and looking up “how to sew”, registering for a class (academic, workout, baking, etc.), asking your sister how to pick out a killer outfit, planting a garden, and many other options. This kind of “never stop learning” mindset is that which will expand one’s horizons more than they know. When you keep gaining knowledge and observing new things, you broaden your scope of your life and the world at large. I’ve found that it is a difficult thing to prioritize my most passionate hobbies during the school year, especially at college, and summertime is the perfect time to focus on you, your pleasures, expanding your joys, and what makes you feel excited and happy about the life you get to live. Broaden your horizons.
#4 Foster your relationships
Take the time to build on the relationships in your life. Call someone you haven’t spoken to in months, make plans with someone you haven’t seen or wouldn’t initially think to reach out to. Whether or not these actions lead to life-long friendships, it is so important to just connect. When school, life, work, etc. feel like they are eating at your personal life, take the summer to really delve into the close (and not-so-close) relationships that you have with people. Get coffee, go on a picnic, have hours worth of conversations getting to know one another better, play games, sit down with your parents/family, and be with one another, focused and excited to learn about each other. Go out of your way. Being a college student during the summer leaves a lot of doors to be opened and experiences to have. Use the free time you have to make plans that aren’t always at the forefront of your brain. Of course, many of us work, have summer classes, and are very busy, but I think filling the free time we do have in pursuit of full relationships and bonding is so crucial.
#5 Travel
Whatever this means to you, do it. Whether it be booking a flight to see a different state, a country, a long-distance friend, getting in your car and driving to a hiking trail, beach, beautiful place, hopping on a train, walking to a friend’s place, or walking to the next town over, it is so important to expose yourself to the world; the people of the world, the sights of the world, and the beauty of it all. Traveling does not necessarily mean pouring thousands of dollars to fly across Europe (although this is my idea of a fabulous time). It could mean, like I said, taking all kinds of adventures, near and far, big and small (is there really such a thing as a small adventure, though? It’s all amazing.) Traveling is living; it is expansive, full of discoveries and self-knowing delights.