As spring term winds down and students begin to look toward the future, one topic always seems to come up in conversations: summer plans!
It is very common for students to describe a need for a break from school work, a desire to be lazy and a plan to rest and recharge before coming back in the fall. While others may have extravagant plans to study or travel abroad, or have acquired great internship opportunities, many students want nothing more than to sleep in as late as they want, watch television and lay poolside with a glass of lemonade.
While this lazy experience sounds nice at the end of the term when student brains are overworked, a summer of relaxation will soon turn to a time of extreme boredom if ways to occupy time are not found. Eventually the nothingness will get old, and by the end of summer most students usually look forward to coming back just because they will have something to do again.
But there are great ways to mix relaxation and experiences together to create a summer that isn’t a waste of time but still gives you the rest you need.
One of the easiest and most obvious ways is to go on a vacation. It doesn’t matter if you take off for Hawai’i for a week or if you take a trip for a day or two at the closest beach or lake. If you get away from your normal surroundings but can still relax, then you will find the perfect mix between fun and relaxation.
Let’s face it, not everyone can afford to take off for a vacation to the coast whenever they feel like it. Many students will have jobs and other obligations that limit opportunities to relax at all, let alone have any fun. But there are ways to be creative to accomplish these goals.
One important thing to remember is that you do not need to be lying down or sitting to be relaxing. Going on a hike with friends in your area on a day when you don’t have work or playing one-on-one basketball with a younger sibling at the local playground are both examples of things that can be considered relaxing and fun. Getting your body moving and your brain working while doing enjoyable activities make time much more enjoyable than just sleeping your entire summer away.
“Vegging out” on the couch with a bag of potato chips while watching daytime television, waiting to see if today is the day someone snaps and punches Jerry Springer in the face is all well and good for a few weeks, but at some point you have to take advantage of your summer. If you stay inside all the time, you will get increasingly anxious as the summer goes on, and boredom will take over your daily routine. By September you will be begging for school to start again.
Try to get out of your comfort zone a little bit, do something different or go on an adventure. As long as you avoid stressful situations, almost anything can be relaxing and give you that feeling of being recharged after a tough academic year.
Summer is the best time of year to do all of the things you didn’t have time for during the school year. Don’t waste it. Go have experiences and make memories. You will still get that level of relaxation you need.
When the time comes in September for friends to tell each other what they did this summer, many will say they were just lazy and bored. Don’t be that person. Do what it takes to answer that question with a great story. You won’t regret it.