Most of my friends are starting back up at school this week, groaning about summer being over and having to start classes again. No more beach days, no more summer road trips, no more lazy Tuesdays spent out by the pool… it’s time to sharpen the pencils, pull out the books and get back in the studying mode.
Well for me, this was the first summer I didn’t spend vacationing, or lounging for days on end by my pool with my friends. Last summer I had a job on Lake Travis in Austin and I got to spend my whole day outside… and get paid for it. The summer before that, I took two classes for “summer school,” worked about ten hours a week and spent the rest of my time at the pool in my best friend’s apartment complex sipping on frozen drinks, slathered in tanning products. But this year, I spent I my summer at my desk, going to work Monday through Friday and using my weekends to work on my tan. My first summer in the real working world. So it’s definitely weird to hear my friends complaining that this is the “last week of summer” or “summer is over!” when in actuality summer is still in full swing… the season, not the break from school.
I have just finished my first full year of work with YSN and it’s crazy to think a little over a year ago I was cramming for finals and my biggest stress factor was making to my 8 a.m. class on time. Even though I don’t regret my decision to take a break from school, there are definitely times when I miss the “college life.” I miss living near campus, sitting outside and people watching. I miss staying up late, cramming for a test, and far exceeding the recommended daily amount of RedBull. I miss the days when “getting dressed” consisted of throwing on sweatpants and a t-shirt. And believe it or not, I miss writing papers and getting graded (yes, I am a huge dork).
So if you’re one of the many headed back to school, quit your whining and enjoy the college life while you can… because after school is over, and I mean really over, not just over for the semester, you are probably going to miss it.
