Wow, another academic year is coming to a close. I wish I was original enough to come up with something better than “time flies” but why change a classic. As the weather gets warmer and you start to drive past people with all of their windows down blasting summer songs, it is important to remember all you’ve done. This was a tough two semesters. As a junior, it was my first full year at UMass and frankly, it wasn’t easy. Balancing academics, clubs, and a social life can be overwhelming. I was also living off-campus this semester and learning how to cook and grocery shop on my own. Believe it or not, but up until now, I had trouble just boiling pasta… It did catch on fire once. For the first time in my college career, I felt like I actually understood why people look back on college as the “glory days.” I think we all made a lot of memories that we won’t forget and even if I tried, my camera roll won’t let me.
However much fun we have at college, everyone looks forward to the summer. We get to take time to relax, and unwind, but most importantly it’s time for us to reset. No matter how much you love hanging out or living with your college besties, being with someone 24/7 always leads to tension. It’s nice to be able to take some time away from everyone and just be with yourself. People underestimate how much time it actually takes to reset from stress. One week of self-care is not going to do it. To our parents, or at least to mine, summer is a time for me to get internship experience and make money for the upcoming school year. They have a point, but that should not be my main goal. I have the rest of my life to work every day and worry about bills and other money-related stressors, this is my last summer of fun and I intend to make the most of it.
Take this summer off. Work to live, don’t live to work. Just make sure you are doing what you want, but set goals for yourself and set limits. Personally, I want to get into a more consistent gym habit, so that by the time I am back in the fall I’m not trying to start new classes and create that habit. The fall will be here before you know it, so don’t waste the entire summer slaving away for a couple of extra dollars. Make memories. Experience new things. In my own life, I am going to take a break from everyone. I love all of my friends, but I don’t need to be constantly connected on social media, I want to take this summer off as a hiatus. I encourage you to do the same. Let people wonder what you are up to. Leave that drama behind. If you want to find me, I will be on the beach, hopefully finishing one of the many books I started this semester.
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