The summer after you graduate high school is a very special time. You’ve closed one chapter of your life, and you’re about to embark on the next—college. Many teens are so happy to finally have some time off that they just want to sleep or veg out for the summer. But, trust me, if you do that, you’ll regret it.
Take my advice, and make the most out of your summer, because once college starts, your life will be dedicated to school once again. Here are some fun ideas for your first summer before college!
1. Spend Quality Time With Friends And Family
If you’re going away to college, then the next time your friends and family will be all be together again probably won’t be until Thanksgiving, or even Christmas. So use this summer to pack in some quality time with the people you care about the most.
2. Travel Abroad
There are lots of programs out there that are designed specifically for teens and college students. If you’ve always wanted to travel abroad, but never had the time to actually do it, then the summer before college is the perfect time to take that journey.
3. Volunteer
Whether you volunteer for a local charity in your hometown, or a cause in another country, you’ll be fulfilled knowing that you volunteered your time and efforts to helping others.
4. Take Short Trips
Short trips are awesome because they don’t take a whole lot of planning, and the travel expenses are minimal compared to long vacations. So if there’s a city or landmark within a few hours of your house, then gather up some friends and go for a day trip.
5. Be Spontaneous
Spontaneity and summertime are one in the same, because the weather is nice, and there are always new and fun activities to try. You should certainly take advantage of this before you have to buckle down and hit the books in the fall.
There are tons of different things you can do the summer before college, but the most important thing to remember is that this time is precious and you don’t want to waste it. So get out there and have some fun—you’ll be so glad you did!
Contributed by Ashley Welter
