We are now in the last full week of April, which means it’s almost time for the spring term, AKA the best term of the year. For many university students, the spring term is a summer break, which means partaking in summer bucket lists, including things like travelling, camping, starting new hobbies, and finally reading the new novel that there just wasn’t time for during school. However, if your co-op sequence or any other reason has caused you to be in school for the spring term, you might not have time for those kinds of things. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean you can’t still do fun summery things. Here are 10 little ways to enjoy your summer, even if you’ll be spending most of it in class.
1. Go to a beach.
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You don’t have to travel to some tropical location to lounge around and soak up the sun. Multiple groups at UW even organize bus trips to the beach from campus. Just take an afternoon off from studying, board a bus, and live your best summer life.
2. Take advantage of patio season.
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You might be forced to spend some time inside cold dark classrooms (looking at you, MC), but you’ll have to eat at some point, so why not do it in the sun? Thanks to Bomber’s lovely patio, you don’t even have to leave campus, and you can get a little midday sun at lunch between classes.
3. Make summery drinks.
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Nothing says summer quite like fruity and/or frozen (and totally Instagram-able) cocktails. Mix up something fun to drink with your friends and enjoy (even if you drink them while studying).
4. Wait in line at Phil’s without worrying about frostbite.
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One of the best things about being in Waterloo in the summer is being able to go out to all your usual favourite bars without freezing in line for hours (or paying for coat check!).
5. Study outside.
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This is probably the easiest way to enjoy the sun when you’re in school. If you’re going to be studying all the time anyway, you may as well do it somewhere where you can get a little vitamin D.
6. Take a day trip to somewhere fun.
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When you’re in school for the summer, your work load probably won’t let you take 2 weeks off to go to Europe; but you might be able to afford a day off from studying to go to Niagara Falls, Canada’s Wonderland, or some other not-too-far-away place where you can do fun tourist-y things as if you’re on a real vacation.
7. Go uptown.
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Waterloo has all kinds of interesting things going on uptown during the summer. Take a couple hours to go check it out when you need a break from school.
8. Go to CIF on Canada Day.
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This is a staple to every summer spent in Waterloo. Whether you go to wander around and get free stuff, watch the performers, or eat junk food from one of the many food trucks present, it’s sure to be a good day, with fireworks at night.
9. Walk to class.
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Even if you live really close to campus, it can be tempting to take a bus when it’s freezing out. But the spring term is a great opportunity to walk to class every day. You get to appreciate the weather and get some exercise while you’re at it.
10. Eat ice cream.
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If eating ice cream doesn’t put you in a summery mood, I don’t know what will. Luckily UW has great access to ice cream. If you want a mix of flavours with lots of toppings, there’s a Marble Slab in University Plaza, and if you want a quick cone between classes, you can get one right on campus from Campus Bubble.
Whether you’re in school, on co-op, or just doing your own thing this summer, have a great one, and don’t forget to come back for more Her Campus articles in September!