This is my last summer living at home and enjoying the carefree lifestyle that we all know and love in college. Although I will be working full-time, I have already mapped out everything I want to do when I get a half-day off or on a weekend! Obviously what you do depends on where you live and what you like to do, but the following five suggestions are perfect activities for anyone to enjoy this summer! Most of them are cheap or free, which tends to be a requirement for college students!
1. Attend a summer concert.
No matter what type of music you are into, summer is the ideal time to attend a concert, especially one that is outdoors! There are tons of concerts in cities across the country, so picking one that you love that is near you should be easy! Personally, I love country concerts because of the genre and the tailgating that is always a blast! This summer, I will be attending both the Luke Bryan/Florida Georgia Line concert and the Goo Goo Dolls/Matchbox 20 concert. Summer concerts are a must because they are relatively cheap and always prove to be a good time with friends!
2. Go to a drive-in movie.
Drive-in movies aren’t as popular as they used to be, but they are still just as fun to go to! My small town just happens to have a drive-in, and I take full advantage of it during the summer months. It is relatively cheap compared to going to a local theater, and you usually get to see more than one movie! The drive-in is perfect for a huge group of friends, a group date, or a family outing on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. Everyone can pile into truck beds or lay out on blankets and enjoy some awesome movies under the summer night sky! I highly recommend giving this a try this summer because you will love the drive-in experience.
3. Get outdoors and go hiking!
If you are looking for something to do that is free, exciting, calorie-burning and pet-friendly, then get outside with a friend (or friends) and go hiking for the day! Hiking is the perfect day trip that won’t hurt your wallet. Grab a few friends, pack a lunch, bring your dog and head up a hiking trail or a mountain and enjoy the outdoors for an afternoon. Once life gets crazy, you won’t have the time to take off for the day, so take advantage of it while you can!
4. Hit the beach.
Who doesn’t love the beach? Exactly. If you live close enough, round up some friends and take a short trip to the beach! Chapel Hill is only about two hours from Wilmington, which is the perfect distance to make a day trip for an afternoon by the ocean! I have done it multiple times, and it is the perfect getaway, especially during the hectic nature of spring semesters! If you don’t live near the beach, then plan a holiday weekend trip! The beach atmosphere is like no other and it makes me the happiest girl in the world. I try to have my toes in the sand as many times as possible during the summer, and I highly recommend that you make a beach trip at least once – hopefully more!
5. Try something new!
During the school year, we all get into a routine of school, work, gym, meetings–the list goes on. Rarely do we get to try something completely new during the madness that is college. Other than trying out the occasional new bar or a new campus organization, most people tend to follow a schedule and stick to the same things they do every other day of the week. Summer is the perfect time to change that! Sign up for a mission trip, learn a new sport, or get involved in a new hobby that you have always wanted to try out but have never had the courage or time to do it. It doesn’t matter what you do, just as long as you are exposing yourself to something different and getting a new experience in your life.
Sources: All photos are personal photos.