The weather is nice out. You have several months off from school. The beach is calling your name. It’s official: summer is finally here. This means three months of working, fixing up your resume and studying for your grad school exams, right?
Well, it could. But you may actually thank yourself later if you use this time off from school to accomplish some of the personal things you never have time to do when you’re juggling class, homework, and a social life.
So where do you start?
First and foremost, make a list of things you want to accomplish this summer. I’m not talking about academic and professional goals. Chances are, you already know what classes you need to take, when you need to start studying for your GRE/LSAT. Yes, these are all necessary tasks. But believe it or not, everyone deserves a break at some point, and it can even be healthy for you to rest once in a while.
1. Read a book, read a magazine — read something you enjoy that you won’t be tested on in class. There are so many great books that you probably want to read but have never “had time” to. Well, now is the time — grab a book, sit outside in the sun and get reading.
2. Freshen up on your language skills. If you’re studying/minoring in a language, spend some time reorienting yourself with whatever language you’re interested in. What point is there to minoring in a language if you never actually use it?
3. Learn to cook — correction: “try” to learn to cook. If you’re tired of cooking the same things in your apartment every day at school, it’s time to learn some new recipes. There are tons of websites that offer simple recipes for you to try out.
4. Have a picnic. Remember when it used to be fun to pack up all your food and eat outside? Well, it still is. Grab your friends and pack lunch and go enjoy nature and eat outside.
5. Go on a trip with your friends. This doesn’t mean you have to be splurge and go on a spring break-worthy trip. Put your money together and rent a cabin for the weekend, stay in the city for the weekend, go on a camping trip; going on vacation with your friends doesn’t have to be expensive.
6. Take a bike ride. How long has your bike been hanging up in your garage? Chances are there is a bike path/lake near you that you can bike around with your friends.
7. Go to a museum. Remember when you were a little kid and field trips to museums seemed boring? Perhaps now you will appreciate the things you learn about. Revisit some of the big museums in the city nearest you and you may even surprise yourself.
8. Attend a music festival. There are so many great concerts going on this summer that you have to be able to find one that fits your music tastes. Make a day of it and go with all your friends. Chances are your hometown has local music festivals that are much cheaper than the big summer concerts so don’t miss out on those less expensive options.
9. Have a cookout. Nothing screams summer like grilling outside with your friends. Learn to grill yourself, turn on some good music and you have yourself a nice summer night.
10. Go to an amusement park. When was the last time you spent a day at Six Flags? You probably forgot how much you love rollercoasters, but it doesn’t take long to remember. Theme parks aren’t just for kids and it can be so fun to spend the day with your friends going on rides. If you want to be especially ridiculous, try to go on the kiddie rides.
If you find yourself with free time this summer, try out some of these activities with your closest friends. Remember, summer is supposed to be fun!