Opinion: Every year, I am sad at the end of school. But there are solutions in the ways I cope with that.
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Every year, I find myself in the same position. I eagerly await the end of the school year; however, I prematurely miss all of the things and people that helped formulate the experience for the past several months.

This year is no different. The bittersweet feelings have arrived. Now, there are certain things I do to cope with the bitter side of these emotions. These are things that help me feel like the cast of “High School Musical” in the beginning of the second movie. They count down the seconds until summer arrives and then break into harmonious song.
Whether or not these levels of excitement can consistently match mine, I have certain traditions I complete that help me come to terms with the time of beginnings and ends. The first of these depends on my memory of past summers.

One summer, just after my older sister had gotten her driver’s license, we spent most weekends driving to the video store to rent out the “Twilight” movies and then traveling to get snacks, such as muffins or chicken nuggets, in order to have smells similar to the one’s Edward experiences when he is around Bella.

Although it has been a few years since our muffin escapades, the sentimentality that accompanies those trips creates anticipation for future parties full of vampires and baked goods. My advice is to find those experiences that have lingering thoughts of summer and reinvent them. They might be slightly different in execution, but they will provide comfort to the feelings that accompany a departing school year.

Another way I commence my summer has to do, yet again, with food. Pick a recipe. Anything that fits your taste. Though I am not a frequent cook, I like to incorporate chicken taquitos into my summer cuisine. 

Time away from school can be a great way to focus on things we don’t have as much time for during the school year, given the surplus of free time we are handed. But sometimes, it can be hard and frustrating to find things to fill this free time with. If cooking isn’t your thing, make your own summer tradition. If it is, I recommend you try the taquitos. My taste buds cry just thinking about them.

Finally, and this may sound like an oversimplification, take some time to relax. Working throughout the school year can be exhausting, so while it seems like a simple start to our vacations, it is important to take the time to digest the past several months. Use the first portion of your break to relax into your new schedule. After all, transition periods are always difficult without this.

It can be sad and troubling to leave campus, the place we all get to call home for about 10 months, but that is why it is important to do the things you enjoy over the summer. Be content with the fact that there is a dichotomy between the happy and sad emotions that will accompany leaving for the summer. This feeling is normal, and recognizing that will help in dealing with it.