Making the Most of Your Summer

Have you started counting down to summer break yet? I have - and it’s only March! Get out your calendar and the red marker! First it’s two months, then it’s two weeks, and before you know it you have one day until you’re on summer break. If you need some ideas to make the most of your summer, look no further! Take a look at the ideas below to jump-start planning your summer! First, do you have any plans for your summer vacation? Even if you do, schedule in some time for you around all of those doctor's appointments that are scattered around your summer calendar. Self-care is all the rage, and should be a priority during the summer as these are the few months we students get off from school!

Fun Ideas

Alright, first, we have the fun ideas - you know, the ones that you can’t wait to do? What have you been looking forward to doing the entire Spring semester? If you’re making a list of things to do this summer, be sure to add some of these fun ideas into the mix! • A coffee or ice cream get together with one (or a few!) of your friends. Nothing beats the summer heat like some of our favorite cold treats that scream summer, like freeze pops, fro-yo, iced coffee and ice cream! • A movie night with your significant other, best friends, or your family. I look forward to movie night no matter what time of year it is (I admit to watching a few during the school year too...) but summer movies are the best! Make a list of old favorites to re-watch or ones you haven’t seen before; if you don’t want to stay at home, see what’s in theaters and grab some buttered popcorn! • An active outdoor activity (rock climbing, hiking, swimming) or an indoor one if cool air is more your style (Just Dance, yoga, and cleaning are all indoor activities that get you up off of the couch!) You can’t relax all summer...or can you? • Catch up with the shows you didn’t have the chance to watch while studying for finals. I know I miss most of my tv shows during the whole school year, let alone during finals. I love it when I get to watch three or four episodes in a row during the first few days of summer! • Spending time with your family, if you don’t live at home like some of us college students! This is something I can’t wait to do, and summer is the perfect time to reconnect with that younger sibling you left behind, or to reconnect with an older sibling that’s coming back home! • Creating a summer, bucket list! Make a list from a list in your Notes app, to a fancy marker-decorated paper list. There are tons of things you could put on it - going to the pool, getting your nails done, and shooting some hoops with your friends are all ideas free for the taking (Including those I previously mentioned above!). Try asking your friends for some ideas too, if none of these make your list!

Practical Ideas

In another vein, fun get together’s are all you can think about when you’re sitting in class, but let’s throw some practicality into the mix. Try some of these activities if you ever get bored of hanging with your friends (I mean, every day for a week isn’t too much, is it?) • Clean out your closet! I have way too many clothes, and college students can attest to all of the college gear you acquire that might be contributing to some clothing clutter. Ask yourself if you can get rid of anything that you haven’t worn in a while and watch as you gain space. • Go through all of your school papers. If you’re a college student, determine what class notes you need to keep (like the ones involving your major) and if you’re a high school student, see if you need some of those papers from the year that piled up on your desk or somewhere similar. I know I should have tossed some of mine away while I was in high school. Instead, I stuffed a box full of these papers, when I cleaned this past year (I haven’t looked at them again!). • Get rid of some of the unimportant stuff you’ve accumulated over the semester. I have some things I could toss when I get to the end of the semester (I’m looking at you, fifty plastic cups I keep acquiring from campus events...). • Clean your room! If you’re like me, every time you’re home more stuff gets added to the floor plan...and summer is the perfect time to vacuum and dust; if you’re really in the cleaning mood, it’s also the perfect time to go through your things! I would advise making a game plan for your cleaning – if you don’t, you just might end up with a room that’s more of a mess! • Learn something new! You could take an online or summer class if your university offers one and if you can to afford it. You could also try a new hobby if you’ve had your eye on one – you have nothing but time during the summer! Now, if you’re like me and you’re planning on getting a job this summer, don’t forget to start prepping everything you might need a month or two before summer starts…just in case you find the perfect summer job! This includes your resume, references, interview clothes, and school transcript, in addition to any information about any prior jobs held. Fastweb has many resources to help you in this endeavor - just check out some more articles on Fastweb! If you do, props to you! Even if you already know you’re going to be working this summer, don’t be afraid to schedule some of the dates above around your work schedule – summer shouldn’t be all work and no play! Your summer doesn’t have to be a bore. Make the most of it however you see fit!