During our first 12 years of school, we always waited impatiently for summer breaks. Summer was the best time of the year, a time to be carefree, have play-dates and hang out with friends. As the years passed, summer became less about having fun and more about working and taking on responsibilities. Summer break as a college student is a whole different story.

As exam season approaches and the school year winds down, most people’s summer plans have been solidified. Whether it is an internship, job, summer school class or vacation, let’s face it — summer is busy. As someone who will be commuting three hours a day, three days a week all summer to my internship and then working weekends at the local drive-in, I, too, understand the stress of summer during college years.

With all the chaos that can come with summer, students should use the months off to maintain healthy lifestyles, de-stress and have fun, in addition to all of the obligations they face. Instead of trying to balance an internship, a job, a class and other obligations, I have found that cutting some things out to make time for yourself can be beneficial.

While I completely agree that summer is a prime time to gain experience in your future field, students should not push the boundaries to the point where they are exceeding full-time job expectations and working 60-hour weeks. Limiting your obligations will not only lead to more professional development, but it will also lead to less stress throughout the summer, as you’ll avoid being stretched too thin. 

Last summer, I interned at a broker until about 4 p.m., five days a week. When I got home, I would hurry to change into my Sonic uniform and work there from 5 p.m. until midnight. Combined, I worked anywhere from 60 to 65 hours a week for the entire summer.

Because of this, I stopped exercising, I ate unhealthy food and I stopped communicating with most of my friends from school. At the end of summer, I felt unsatisfied with the amount of things I was able to get done for myself, and I felt disconnected from my friends who had been hanging out without me all summer.

The stress from my obligations consumed me, so this summer, I made sure to limit the number of obligations I’ll be taking on. 

To avoid being overly stressed, college students should embrace the opportunity for some much-deserved free time during the summer. While taking on multiple responsibilities might be necessary, we should find the time in between to relax. Instead of picking up an extra shift, we should consider having a movie night with friends or catching up on the latest episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. These things are valuable for mental well-being. 

While it might be tempting to keep busy, doing what I did last summer only makes you feel empty inside. I missed out on valuable family time and events to work the late night shifts, and that is something I truly regret.

Like I said earlier, summer break used to be fun, and it still can be. Sure, we have responsibilities to fulfill, but in the end we are still young. This is something college students too often forget.

Treating yourself to some personal time every week by doing things like baking cookies with your mom, getting your nails done, having a movie night with a sibling or going to the beach with a friend is important. It’s the type of thing college students really need in the summer and that will help them return fresh and ready to go come back in the fall.

As the school year finishes up and you head back home, it is important to understand that while summertime stress and busy schedules might be inevitable, taking the time out for yourself in between commitments will lead to a more satisfying summer.

Rebecca is a junior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].