The beach, the sun, a volleyball, sunscreen, a hat, a nice tan, and drinking lots of water are common indicators that summer has begun. My summer did not look anything like that, except maybe the part with lots of water. Besides coming earlier to UCI for work training, it also did not include much of school work. For me, a relaxing summer full of travel and family visits can feel as though it was completely wasted now that school has begun, especially going into my third year. However, there is not, and should not, be a definition of what a successful summer should look like.
For some, summer is the time to relax from the stress and pain, both physical and emotional, that school has caused for nine straight months, sometimes more. If your summer was spent sleeping in the comfort of your own bed and only getting up because you had to engage in physiological needs, more power to you because you cannot do that in college. It is something that is needed to be able to go into full work-mode once Fall quarter begins.
If summer for you looked a lot like the first sentence of this article, then your summer was full of fun memories that you can cherish forever. Having fun and spending quality time with friends, family and even just yourself is very challenging once college starts. Your summer was definitely not wasted by enjoying the short months of freedom summer brings. Other students spend their time working and/or taking summer classes to get ahead in their majors. Although to some students spending summer this way makes them feel as though they had a productive summer, they also begin classes wishing they had spent more time taking care of themselves.
For this reason, I believe that all summers are productive summers: whether it was productive in your self-care or in your summer classes, always keep in mind that your summer was used to its full potential and learn from mistakes or regrets you may feel when it is over. If your summer was full of work then you probably made lots of money! If you took classes you are most likely ahead than the rest of us! If you slept through all three months of summer, you have gotten more sleep than I have in years! So remember, it is all about your attitude towards your accomplishments and I want you all to know that no matter what that accomplishment is or how small or big it was, in the end it was your accomplishment. Be proud of every single one!