Making the Most of Your Summer

As the Arizona heat sinks in over ASU, it’s easy to let yourself melt into the relaxing summer vibes and let go of any academic obligations you had during the school year. As nice as that feeling is, it’s not always the best approach to summer vacation.

In high school, that unhindered break time was my escape every single year, but in college, summer takes on a very different role in the life of a student. For us, college is a time to collect ourselves, and our academics, and get ready for the next school year. It’s a difficult line to walk, balancing our free time with work towards our future goals, and our own mental health.

For me, summer is about seeking opportunities I normally don’t have the time to explore during the school year. Without my full class schedule to worry about, I can take on more applications for internships, more hours at my job, and plan for the upcoming semester without compromising the time I spend on myself.

In fact, one of the biggest commitments I made this summer was to my self-care and not to any of my academic or professional obligations. After stumbling through a gym routine for the entirety of the spring semester, this summer I told myself that I would take the time to truly dedicate myself to an exercise habit, and give myself the time to form better eating and sleeping habits as well. It was going to be a long process, but with several months of summer break ahead of me, I was fairly confident in my ability to follow through, and have fun doing it!

The biggest help to me while I was carrying out the beginning of this summer plan, was the pool. Swimming is a wonderful way to get active in the heavy Arizona heat. It’s easy, fun, and the kind of activity that you and your friends can enjoy together! Swimming laps, treading water, and playing games in the pool like volleyball or Marco Polo are some great ways to get your body moving. As long as you visit regularly, the pool is a great habit to pick up over the summer.

I also found that, due to the lack of classes and homework, my friends and I could plan to do activities together with more frequency. Making a weekly commitment to go to the gym with a friend is an easy way to hold yourself accountable. Planning other invigorating activities like a visit to your local park to use the tennis court, or even something like roller skating, is a great way to work out.

Some healthy habits are totally up to you, however. My other self-care goal of the summer was to make sure I slept at more regular intervals and reasonable times. During the semester, I can get carried away with homework and projects, which leads to inconsistent meals as well as late night or even early morning bedtimes. Both are habits that seem unavoidable during a busy semester, but by practicing self-care over the summer, I’m hoping to set myself up for more success while I attend class.

To start, I worked to address my eating habits. I’m not a particularly talented cook or a well-practiced baker, but I found that by finding a few simple recipes that I really liked, I was more likely to look forward to mealtimes. For example, I love cornbread. When I was younger, it was more of a special treat that I might get while out to dinner or at a potluck. Living on my own, I’ve realized that I can make it whenever I’d like. It’s a great breakfast, and a good addition to a lunch or dinner, so by making some over the weekend, I’ve already given myself something great to eat over the week.

This might seem overly simple to some. Yet I’ve found that many college students struggle to eat consistently, which leads them to be uncomfortable unnecessarily. How many times have you had to push through a headache or stomachache during a long study session only to realize that you were missing a meal several hours later? Water and food aren’t something students can comfortably miss, despite what we’d like to think.

The same could be said for sleeping. I knew that if I wanted to get into the habit of sleeping more, and at healthier times during the semester, I would need to regularly practice that over the summer. So far, this has worked out well for me! I’ve kept my later nights to the weekend when I know I can sleep in, and now I wake up in the mornings more awake and prepared to face the day than I have in the past.

Remembering that self-care should be one of your top priorities regardless of circumstances can be a difficult thing to manage. For me, it was easiest to handle when I set aside my academic commitments and goals for a few weeks early into the summer to give myself the time I needed to focus on my well-being. After that time had passed, I had more energy for internships, applications, and other academic commitments. As a result, I’ve accomplished more and felt better about what I’ve achieved, giving me a much healthier starting point for next semester.

Claire van Doren Senior, English Literature and Journalism Student