Especially for first-year students, the summer can seem really long and daunting. Though it’s supposed to be a time of relaxation and rejuvenation, sometimes it’s hard to imagine what you can spend 4-5 months doing. Particularly for those who hate sitting still, these are ways to spend the long summertime wisely.
Keep in Touch:
The friends you make in university can very well become life-long friends. Face it, they’ve become so important to you in such a short amount of time. It’s scary to think about having a summer without them once everyone retreats to their hometowns. It’s important to keep in touch with them, even if you’re across the province (or country!) from one another. Skyping is a very easy way of communication that helps many of those in long-distance situations. You can even plan a road trip or other kind of vacation with the friends you’ve made. There are lots of things to do, just remember not to become a stranger as the days grow longer.
Try Something New:
Throughout the school year, you’re introduced to so many different experiences and ideas. Keep track of all the things you’ve said “Yea, that sounds cool” to and actually do them! The great thing about university is that summers are so much longer than ever before. You have so much time to go on that trip, see that music festival, or start doing that one thing that you saw someone else doing and thought it looked cool. You can keep a list of books you want to read, you can start photography, you can learn to ride a horse. There’s so much to enjoy in this world that we simply don’t have time to do during the school year.
Stay Productive:
Without getting overwhelmed (like during the school year), it’s important to stay productive and adventurous during the summer. It seems tempting, after months of long days and hard work, to stay inside and do nothing, but this is your life! Live every moment of it! It’s important to keep a rough routine going even when you have no obligations during the summer. That doesn’t mean you have to get up at 6 a.m. every morning to go for a run, but it means either getting a job, volunteering, or spending a scheduled amount of time doing that thing you want to get good at (e.g. spending 2 hours a day painting). Spend your time wisely and use the summer to grow as an individual.
Love Your Loved Ones:
This ties into the first point, but it hits home more than long-distance friends. During the school year, because you’re so busy, it’s hard to keep track of the friends who either have completely different schedules or who never went to university. Sometimes you’re too overwhelmed to share a proper conversation with them because they’re not physically there as much as they were before. It’s hard, but it’s something you both have to understand. Use the summertime to really show how much you appreciate the people you’ve pushed off while you were studying. Whether it be family, high school friends, or even your next-door neighbours, don’t let school ruin your relationship with the people who’ve helped you get this far.
Stay in School:
This might not be the ideal situation for most students. Some people have to take summer courses simply to pass what they failed during the fall or winter terms. But think of the good things! You can take courses of general interest to you. They might not be necessary to your degree, but it’s something you were always hoping to dip your toe into. As well, you can get ahead of your degree audit and complete the courses you were supposed to start in the fall. For some, it’s hard to say goodbye to school for so many months simply because they’re so used to it. It’s okay to spend more of your time learning and studying… it’s just a bit more expensive.
However you choose, have a safe, rejuvenating, and life-enriching summer, HC readers!