How To Make the Best of Your Summer (Before School Starts)
photo: @ashleybchoi
by Azucena Melchor
From one student to another,
Summers pass quickly and semesters can bring out all of your inner insanity. These are my top five steps to combat BOTH of these problems. Help yourself out by taking some of the weight off of your school-year-shoulders while having an amazing time.
STEP 1 — FIX YOUR SCHEDULE
Whether for you the semester means grinding out school work until 5:30 am or waking up at the same time for an early morning shift of your job, summer’s the time to fix that (even just a little bit). And no, that doesn’t mean you can’t party! Take advantage of having a little less to do and go to sleep at a reasonable hour when you can. Then you’ll be able to wake up in the morning for the extra few hours of the sunlight gifted to us by dear summer.
STEP 2 — CLEAR OUT YOUR TO DO LIST
You’ve likely accumulated a list of tasks that you meant to do during the semester and just didn’t have time for. Contact that professor! Apply for that job! Take care of those things ASAP so they don’t loom over you while you try to have a good summer. If you do this, you’ll also put yourself in a MUCH better place once things start back up again.
Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums
STEP 3 — CARE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
This might be the most important thing on this list. If you’re anything like me, the semester takes it out of you, and you know you don’t do well at life when your mental health is at a low. If all it takes to get back on track is a few self care days, that’s great. If it takes more, I encourage you to put in the work for yourself. And this also goes for you if you feel perfectly fine! Take some time this summer to become a better version of yourself, you won’t regret it.
STEP 4 — MEET NEW PEOPLE
Now that you’ve gotten your life (more) together, it’s time to network. Meeting new people is important for a LOT of reasons. First of all, what’s not to like about expanding your circle :). Second, though, building connections outside of your classes and your school will be SO important, especially after you graduate. Volunteering, taking a class, joining a community organization or seeking out social events are all great ways to start.
Le Rayon Vert (Éric Rohmer , 1986)
STEP 5 — HAVE FUN
I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one. Now is your time. Make memories! Make the best of it!
*Originally published July 2021, updated July 12, 2023
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