If you’re anything like me, you have a to do list written out with all those tasks you have to do, organized by class, group or type and due date. All semester, mine was overloaded with tasks relating to classes, Her Campus, running two student groups and applying for jobs after graduation. Then, there was that miscellaneous section at the bottom, with a list of stuff I really wanted to get done, but just never ended up getting to.
So now that it’s officially summer, classes are out, finals are over and I’m an incredibly lucky senior who has found a job for after graduation, I finally have a month of relaxation time before real life begins. For those of you who aren’t graduating but have Summer I or II off, you have the same relaxed, excited feeling I do – freedom!
But instead of just sleeping until 2pm and wasting the day away in front of the TV, I’ve promised myself to have a productive, yet relaxing, time off before work starts. And I’ve got a long list of stuff I can’t wait to get done in that free time! Here are my list of things I can’t wait to do now that classes are over.
Clean, clean, clean
And I don’t just mean pick up your week’s worth of clothes on the floor and shuffle around the papers on your desk so they’re in some sort of order. I mean sit down and go through all those piles of school work that you no longer need, throw out all of the extra papers you’ve got sitting around, and actually vacuum and dust the way you said you would 3 months ago. I’ve got an old hamster cage sitting in a corner that I need to sell on craigslist, and an old printer that stopped working 6 months ago I’ve been hoarding for no reason. Go through your room and purge – there’s no need to have extra junk laying around, and you’ll feel so much better once you get rid of it! If there’s stuff that’s denotable, make a pile for Goodwill and give it to charity – another great way to feel good about cleaning!
Go through your wardrobe and give away what you don’t wear
It has been months since I did a good cleaning out of my closet and drawers, and I know I have at least two dozen tops that have been sitting unworn in my dresser all semester. It’s time all that unworn clothing gets a new home. If you’re going to be in Boston, consider going to the Swapaholics swap out in Worcester on May 14. I can’t wait to go with my friend Katelyn to purge my closet of all the old and come home with some new finds as well! If you can’t make the swap, add your unworn clothing to the Goodwill or Salvation Army pile and give to those in need.
Organize your email
Sarah suggested this in her list of Productive Procrastination ideas , but if you didn’t do this one while you were avoiding studying for finals, now’s the time to revamp your huskymail or gmail. Go through all 847 unread messages and archive, label or save the ones you need and delete the ones you don’t. Create new labels (complete with fun colors!), add filters so your mail automatically comes into your inbox labeled, and de-stress by knowing you no longer have close to 1000 emails in your inbox.
Upload and print your favorite pictures of the year
These days, we take photos on our digital cameras, upload them to Facebook and forget about them a few weeks later. My goal is to go through my pictures from the last year and compile my favorites into a folder. I use SnapFish to print my digital photos – they’re just 12 cents per print and usually ship within a week. Plus, they usually have great coupon codes if you’re making lots of prints. A ton of sites and stores offer this service as well, including Walgreens and CVS.
Read… for pleasure!
I have a page-long list of all the novels and non-fiction books I’ve been meaning to read all year. I’ve got a Barnes & Noble gift card sitting unused in my wallet, and I’m heading to the bookstore to pick up all the bestsellers I need to read. Feeling cheap? Head to a thrift store or used book store instead! Since the weather is finally nice, take your book outsides and read on a bench or on the grass – just don’t forget your water, shades & suntan lotion!
Collage with all those unread magazines
All the magazines I subscribe to have been sitting collecting dust in my living room. It’s time to actually read the recent editions, and then scrapbook with the rest! I absolutely love to collage, but it’s time consuming and I don’t always have the hours to devote to it. Once you’ve printed pictures from the year, go through and cut out fun letters, phrases and pictures and make yourself a fun poster to hang on your wall next year.
Take a walk through the city
I absolutely love Boston, and it’s such a walkable city. I tend to forget this during the year, when I’m rushing in between places and taking the T or bus everywhere. I want to stroll down Newbury, explore Charles Street in Beacon Hill, check out the Bunker Hill memorial and walk down the esplanade. Pick some of the places in the city you love, and places you haven’t had time to explore, grab your shades, a book and an iced coffee and get your walk on.
Bonus: I’ve been meaning to take lots of pictures with the new DSLR my parents got me last year, and have been way too busy to actually do it. If you’ve got a nice camera, bring it with you on your walk! You’ll feel creative and artsy, and probably get some great shots.
Bring that jar of coins to Coinstar
I have a huge plastic jar of coins I’ve been collecting for almost two years and keep telling myself I’m actually going to count. If you have patience, head to the bank and ask for some coin rolls for quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies. Count and sort your coins, then bring ’em back into the bank and they’ll deposit them right into your account! If you lack patience, lug the jar to your nearest Coinstar – the machine counts your coins for you, and will put the balance onto a gift card to iTunes, Amazon or dozens of other retailers.
Update your music collection
There is something so relaxing about spending the day in a music store. Do some research online and see which of your favorite artists have new albums out. Make a list and then go shopping! If you’re like me and don’t have tons of money to spend on CDs, ask around to friends if they have any of the albums you want. Then organize a music swap – everyone can bring their laptops, a bunch of flash drives and you can all swap music!
Use your GroupOns!
I’m guilty of it too – buying those GroupOns or Living Social deals that sound fabulous, and then letting them sit on your account for 6 months. Now is the time to use them! Print ’em all out, call up friends, or make appointments and actually use that awesome deal you scored.
So now that you’ve read my list – it’s your turn. What’s on your summer to do list?