By Tatum Mitchell | Staff Writer
Contrary to what Phineas and Ferb said, we actually have 102 days of summer vacation. As college students, summer is a lot of time that can be utilized in many different ways.
After another hectic school year, it’s the home stretch of finals; most students are staying up past midnight, begging professors to round up a grade and cramming in a few essays. Afterward, I know all I will want to do is sleep and get far away from school.
Going into the summer, don’t let your foot completely off the gas. Yes, summer is meant for fun, so see your friends, sleep a lot and have a good time. However, there’s a balance to everything. We finally have what we always said we needed during the school year: more time.
After many summers of trial and error, I’ve finally cracked the code. Being social and resting all summer doesn’t prepare me for the upcoming school year, and working the entire time leaves me mentally exhausted.
Summer should be a time to de-stress while also getting organized for the upcoming year. I’m a hypocrite, and I love being lazy. However, getting into a solid daily routine and organizing a plan before the beginning of school sets me up for success.
The 102 days we have to ourselves are the perfect time to set a goal or two and complete them. Make your bed, drink more water, go for a walk or read a few pages of a book every day.
Dedicating a few hours a day to routine, organization, cleaning, internship work or self-care makes the transition to fall a breeze. For example, last summer, I got into the habit of making my bed every morning, walking my dogs after lunch and writing my plans on a calendar. In the fall, it was easy to build on those habits.
Here’s my formula for the balancing act of summer: Take a week off. Immediately after the end of school, sleep and spend time doing whatever it is you find relaxing. Then, use the next three weeks to set the tone for the rest of the summer. Possibly try incorporating two new things into your daily routine.
That’s four weeks down, with 10 weeks (74 days) to go. In those days, find a balance of productivity and relaxation. Set aside time each day to clean and do work for your internship or job, but also give yourself time to rest and be social. Two weeks out from the start of school, buy a planner and write down your fall schedule.
Phineas and Ferb were only wrong about the numbers. We have 102 days of summer vacation, and the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it. In between building a rocket and fighting a mummy, let’s make sure there’s a balance of both laziness and getting stuff done.
