1.Plan your study abroad trip. Now! Don’t put this off because the longer you postpone planning, the less likely you’ll ever make it abroad.
2.Fill out applications. You are probably too busy to do this during the semester. Whether it’s for scholarship money, to become a First Year Mentor, or to be a staff writer for the Pitt News, take the time to make a great application. Maybe even apply for insane opportunities to study in Africa or to go to Spain for free. Fill out the application—don’t let the slim chances stop you.
3.Eat home-cooked meals. Save your money for school! Your parents are buying groceries so eat up and enjoy that home cooked meal with as much appreciation as your taste buds can handle; because once you’re back at school, you’ll be wishing you had.
4.Dye your hair. Do something crazy to your hair. Put a streak of purple in it or go platinum blonde. Be careful though: avoid this one if you have a good job that could have a future career path (one that might not like this), but if you’re relaxing at home all summer with a low-key job, go nuts and experiment! There’s not much of a window open left to do something wild before you have to start looking “professional.”
5.Road trip! Plan a visit to a city you haven’t been to before with your friends or siblings. Actually spend time looking up things about the city and plan out a whole weekend to just explore!
6.Try a new hobby. You are still young enough to try a new hobby, whether it’s painting or running cross-country. Since we are still young, we can channel all of our extra summer energy into trying a new project. Just start one day, and don’t stop until you’ve succeeded.
7.Reconnect with family. Enough said. Just enjoy their company. If they get on your nerves, remember you’ll miss them once you head back to school.
8.Sit down and read. Every single day. With a real book, not a magazine or a free sample on your kindle. Try riding over to your local library and finding something you’ve never heard of before. Or, re-read your favorite book. Just as long as you unplug from reality and escape into the pages, you’ll be happy.
9.Throw a bonfire! What’s better than s’mores, friends, fire, and a summer playlist? Not much. Host a bonfire in your backyard. Change up the usual college party scene by trading it in for a relaxed, old fashion bonfire.
10.Play outside. Grab a friend or your summer fling and hit the swings right around twilight. It’s the best, cheapest, and easiest therapy for a hard day. Or, pull out the sprinkler that you used to run around in with your siblings endlessly. Don’t forget to catch fireflies and draw elaborate sketches in chalk on your driveway. Maybe even pull out those water guns for a water war.
12.Unplug. During the semester, it’s hard to avoid electronics, mostly because of homework right? Ha, more like Facebook, texting, playing with apps, and live tweeting #dancemoms. Try cutting back (or even cutting out all) of your technology for a while. No one is going to die because you didn’t text them back right away. Netflix is still going to have every episode of Lost when you restart your computer. Live in the moment and pull yourself out of the cyber world for a while.
13.Learn how to cook! You’ll be home, so ask whoever is the cook of the house to teach you their secrets! This will be the best decision you’ve ever made…ever.