By Laurel Elfenbein, Contributor, Emerson College
Chances are, reader, that you just completed a year of college, or are close to finishing. I personally just made it through my first year of college and, now that I’m home, my feelings could not be more mixed. On one hand, I'm glad to have four months to focus on everything but school. For once in our lives, our summer vacations are unblemished by homework. I'm also excited to spend some time with my friends at home and even to hang out with my parents. On the other hand, I miss Emerson and Boston so much already. I miss all the wonderful friends I made over the past year and the freedom that came with living four hours away from my parents in a college dorm. I've been home just over a week, and already I feel stifled by my parents with questions like, "Where are you going? Are you using the car? When will you be back?" Having to deal with limited freedom over the summer is going to be tough. It's also tough just not living in Boston. I forgot how to have fun in a place that doesn't have a thousand things to do and a T to get anywhere I please. So I thought of some ways to evade boredom this summer and how to make the best of living at home. While counting down the days until I'm back in Boston.
Get a job. So this, to me, is the most obvious one. The idea of working has never been a particularly pleasant one, but this summer, having a job kills two birds with one stone. A job will get you out of your house for hours a week, if not hours a day. It will give you somewhere to be, something to do, and something to put on your resume. And don't think I forgot the best part- the money! You can't pretend like the first year of college hasn't drained your bank account (i.e. spending five dollars for unlimited jungle juice every weekend).
Do something productive. Run some errands. Buy yourself things you need (including ice cream as a reward for your productivity). If you're stuck at home, clean or reorganize your room, do some laundry, and do little chores around the house. With some music on, these things can actually be kind of fun and it sure as hell feels better than spending the whole day with your butt on the couch.
Volunteer. There will always be an organization nearby that could use your help. If it interests you, go to a hospital, a non-profit organization, or anything you can think of in your surrounding area and ask them if you could volunteer. I personally volunteered at my local TV station the summer before starting at Emerson, and it provided me with valuable experience and helped confirm that TV production is the right thing for me. You can easily pursue your passions by volunteering!
Exercise. Yeah, it's hard to motivate yourself to get to the gym when an all-day marathon of America's Next Top Model is on. Yet exercising is another way to keep yourself productive. It forces you to leave your house and actually do your body some good. If you don't belong to a gym, I would suggest going for a run outside. I personally love running outside because it allows you to see some sights while exercising. To me, a run outdoors always goes by a lot faster than a run on the treadmill. Another idea (and a very underrated one) is to get a group of friends together to play outdoor sports such as football, volleyball, soccer, and wiffle ball.
Spend time with your friends. Another no-brainer. But seriously, make a real effort to see your friends, especially ones you may have missed over the breaks. Reconnect with old friends. Even try to contact those people you were borderline friends with. You know, the ones you only saw in class or maybe hung out with once or twice. Word of advice: don't just wait for your friends to text you. It's hard getting readjusted to not being able to just walk across the hall and hang out with people. I mean, I still expect the 6 o'clock "dinner time!" text every night. Now it's up to you to make plans. If you don't reach out to your friends, you're going to have a lonely summer full of late nights on Tumblr.
See your family. No matter what your first instinct may be, do attempt to spend time with your parents. They will be giving you free room and board for the next few months, after all. Offer to take them out for lunch or coffee or something (chances are they'll feel bad and pay for it anyway!!!). And nothing says summer like sharing hot dogs and watermelon with your cousins at family barbecues.
Plan day trips. Ask your friends if they want to head to the city for a day (being from New Jersey, I’m referring to New York City, but this could go for any city near you). Go to the mall. Spend a day at the beach. Go to a museum. You get the picture.
Enjoy relaxing at home. No matter what, there will be some lazy days where you spend every hour of daylight cooped up in your house like a hermit with no contact with the outside world. That's okay, too. Plan a nice, relaxing activity. For example, I am writing this article in the middle of a 100% planned Harry Potter movie marathon. You could also do things like write (for Isis!), draw, blast music and dance around your house, etc.
Plan for your future. If you're going to be spending a lot of time on your laptop, you might as well be productive. Use the internet for good. Research possible internships for the school year or next summer, keep an eye on your course schedule (a spot in that one class you really wanted may open up!), loosely plan the rest of your college career, apply for scholarships, apply for jobs for the school year and keep up with current events. I know it sounds about as fun or less than exercising, but it will make you feel good to keep your brain working and to organize yourself.
Catch up with college friends. Instead of writing "MISS YOU XOXOX *emoji*" on their Facebook walls, why don't you see which of your college friends will be nearby for the summer and plan to actually hang out. Find out if one of them has a summer house they'd be willing to offer up for a weekend of debauchery. I personally cannot WAIT to be reunited with all my New Jersey/ New York area friends at some point. Skype is a decent substitute for those who are past the range of affordable transportation (this activity also fits in the 'relaxing at home' category).
Find some summer lovin'. Now this may not be the most practical of my suggestions, but if you have a shot at a summer romance, take it. For reasons I shouldn't even need to state.
There you have it. My guide to a tolerable summer away from Emerson. I hope you use it well and make the best of your summer! See you all in the fall!
Chances are, reader, that you just completed a year of college, or are close to finishing. I personally just made it through my first year of college and, now that I’m home, my feelings could not be more mixed. On one hand, I'm glad to have four months to focus on everything but school. For once in our lives, our summer vacations are unblemished by homework. I'm also excited to spend some time with my friends at home and even to hang out with my parents. On the other hand, I miss Emerson and Boston so much already. I miss all the wonderful friends I made over the past year and the freedom that came with living four hours away from my parents in a college dorm. I've been home just over a week, and already I feel stifled by my parents with questions like, "Where are you going? Are you using the car? When will you be back?" Having to deal with limited freedom over the summer is going to be tough. It's also tough just not living in Boston. I forgot how to have fun in a place that doesn't have a thousand things to do and a T to get anywhere I please. So I thought of some ways to evade boredom this summer and how to make the best of living at home. While counting down the days until I'm back in Boston.
Get a job. So this, to me, is the most obvious one. The idea of working has never been a particularly pleasant one, but this summer, having a job kills two birds with one stone. A job will get you out of your house for hours a week, if not hours a day. It will give you somewhere to be, something to do, and something to put on your resume. And don't think I forgot the best part- the money! You can't pretend like the first year of college hasn't drained your bank account (i.e. spending five dollars for unlimited jungle juice every weekend).
Do something productive. Run some errands. Buy yourself things you need (including ice cream as a reward for your productivity). If you're stuck at home, clean or reorganize your room, do some laundry, and do little chores around the house. With some music on, these things can actually be kind of fun and it sure as hell feels better than spending the whole day with your butt on the couch.
Volunteer. There will always be an organization nearby that could use your help. If it interests you, go to a hospital, a non-profit organization, or anything you can think of in your surrounding area and ask them if you could volunteer. I personally volunteered at my local TV station the summer before starting at Emerson, and it provided me with valuable experience and helped confirm that TV production is the right thing for me. You can easily pursue your passions by volunteering!
Exercise. Yeah, it's hard to motivate yourself to get to the gym when an all-day marathon of America's Next Top Model is on. Yet exercising is another way to keep yourself productive. It forces you to leave your house and actually do your body some good. If you don't belong to a gym, I would suggest going for a run outside. I personally love running outside because it allows you to see some sights while exercising. To me, a run outdoors always goes by a lot faster than a run on the treadmill. Another idea (and a very underrated one) is to get a group of friends together to play outdoor sports such as football, volleyball, soccer, and wiffle ball.
Spend time with your friends. Another no-brainer. But seriously, make a real effort to see your friends, especially ones you may have missed over the breaks. Reconnect with old friends. Even try to contact those people you were borderline friends with. You know, the ones you only saw in class or maybe hung out with once or twice. Word of advice: don't just wait for your friends to text you. It's hard getting readjusted to not being able to just walk across the hall and hang out with people. I mean, I still expect the 6 o'clock "dinner time!" text every night. Now it's up to you to make plans. If you don't reach out to your friends, you're going to have a lonely summer full of late nights on Tumblr.
See your family. No matter what your first instinct may be, do attempt to spend time with your parents. They will be giving you free room and board for the next few months, after all. Offer to take them out for lunch or coffee or something (chances are they'll feel bad and pay for it anyway!!!). And nothing says summer like sharing hot dogs and watermelon with your cousins at family barbecues.
Plan day trips. Ask your friends if they want to head to the city for a day (being from New Jersey, I’m referring to New York City, but this could go for any city near you). Go to the mall. Spend a day at the beach. Go to a museum. You get the picture.
Enjoy relaxing at home. No matter what, there will be some lazy days where you spend every hour of daylight cooped up in your house like a hermit with no contact with the outside world. That's okay, too. Plan a nice, relaxing activity. For example, I am writing this article in the middle of a 100% planned Harry Potter movie marathon. You could also do things like write (for Isis!), draw, blast music and dance around your house, etc.
Plan for your future. If you're going to be spending a lot of time on your laptop, you might as well be productive. Use the internet for good. Research possible internships for the school year or next summer, keep an eye on your course schedule (a spot in that one class you really wanted may open up!), loosely plan the rest of your college career, apply for scholarships, apply for jobs for the school year and keep up with current events. I know it sounds about as fun or less than exercising, but it will make you feel good to keep your brain working and to organize yourself.
Catch up with college friends. Instead of writing "MISS YOU XOXOX *emoji*" on their Facebook walls, why don't you see which of your college friends will be nearby for the summer and plan to actually hang out. Find out if one of them has a summer house they'd be willing to offer up for a weekend of debauchery. I personally cannot WAIT to be reunited with all my New Jersey/ New York area friends at some point. Skype is a decent substitute for those who are past the range of affordable transportation (this activity also fits in the 'relaxing at home' category).
Find some summer lovin'. Now this may not be the most practical of my suggestions, but if you have a shot at a summer romance, take it. For reasons I shouldn't even need to state.
There you have it. My guide to a tolerable summer away from Emerson. I hope you use it well and make the best of your summer! See you all in the fall!