As the end of the school year approaches, the new go-to question seems to be “What are you doing over the summer?” I’ve heard some crazy answers — most having to do with an internship, or maybe a job in a foreign country, or a month-long hike. As someone who loves a checklist, I’ve been feeling behind. After all, I’m just going home to work as a lifeguard and day-trip with my friends from high school. These summer adventures are some of my fondest memories. So why do I feel guilty?
Not to agree with the masses, but I blame social media, even LinkedIn (and yes, I have watched people scroll on LinkedIn during pregames before). I have spent so many hours going through other people’s highlight reels, and all of this consuming never drives me to create; it just leaves me feeling behind. As a pre-med biochemistry major, I have a million things to complete before I graduate, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly looking ahead and comparing myself to others. But I’m also a girl in my twenties, and I’m almost halfway through college already. So, I like to sidequest.Â
My own definition of side questing is spontaneously adventuring. This term is almost as scientific as David González-Cutre’s “novelty”, which he studied extensively from 2016 to 2022. González-Cutre and his team found that “the pattern of correlations between satisfaction of the need for novelty and the forms of motivation is very similar to that found for the other three basic psychological needs in prior studies.” Doing new things has also been found to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows neurons to regulate pleasure, motivation, memory, and motor control. Not to mention that spontaneity can even increase neuroplasticity (i.e. your neurons adapting and forming new connections in your brain) and grey matter (which seems to govern daily activities, personality, and intelligence). So sometimes, putting down your textbook and touching grass can actually help you learn better. Plus, you might even be happier while you’re learning.Â
I know I can’t easily go back to the days when I would wander around in the woods making fairy houses. But I’m going to try my best. Whether you are on or off campus this summer, here are ten side questing ideas, collected from my friends and family.Â
- Get a job as an extra in a movie or TV show
- Turn something into a football (that is definitely not a football) and throw it around with your friends outside
- Go on a night hike around the preserve
- Visit a body of water (Vassar has some amazing swimming holes nearby), and bonus points if there’s a rope swing
- Have a cooking or baking competition with your friends
- Visit a botanical garden or sculpture parkÂ
- Master a random skill (French braiding, lock picking, etc.)
- Stop into a new, mystery store while running errands
- Have a conversation with a stranger
- Go axe throwing
These suggestions are pretty all over the place, but your brain thrives on “all over the place.” Side questing doesn’t have to be a big, elaborate adventure, either. Even something as small as changing your route to classes or watching a new TV show can be enough to form new neural connections. What matters is that you’re exposing yourself to new things, and experiencing the world in all of its messy, confusing, dopamine-fueled glory. Your brain will thank you.Â