Summer is here, which means you're done with classes and ready to get outside. There's so much you can do during the summer you can't do in any other season, especially when you're dealing with a full load of courses during the school year.
Hanging around outside with your friends can help make the kind of memories that will stick with you long after you graduate, and even be therapeutic. Relaxing or doing something fun outside can also recharge you for the coming semester.
Most of what you can do outside depends on where you live and what's around you. If you're in the mountains, you can hike all day long or go rafting. Living by the beach means you can jump in the surf or tan until the sun goes down.
Cities provide a space to roam and people-watch. But that all means you need to travel somewhere to have fun, which means paying for gas or even for the entertainment. On a college student's budget, that's not always possible.
Instead, why not make a DIY outdoor hangout this summer? You can have fun outside in the space you made, which will save you time and money.
No matter what your outdoor space looks like, you can create a place to fit whatever you want to do.
Read up on some ideas for inspiration and then get going. Your summer fun might be only minutes away.
Make Your Own Jungle
Does your college apartment have a small balcony you can use as your outdoor space? If you have one with a nice view, you should consider using it as your main hangout spot.
One way to make this space look more appealing is to make your own jungle. Local garden shops will sell leafy plants and seeds for a great price. Overload your porch with shrubs and ferns to provide some shade and make you feel transported to a whole new place.
Get the Right Furniture
You won't have much fun outside if there isn't a place to sit, which is why your patio furniture is so important. It sets the tone for your porch and helps you make the most out of your outdoor living space.
Bigger thrift stores might have chairs you can repurpose to work as patio furniture or a small table you can use to set your mug of coffee on in the morning. Even if you only get a few chairs, it'll change how you look at your patio and make you and your friends more inclined to spend time outside.
Install a Screen
Apartments can be so affordable for college students because the apartment complex crammed as many units together as they could fit. That might mean the view from your patio is into another person's apartment.
Fix this by installing a lattice grill screen. If you get a sheet big enough, you can lean it up against the edge of your balcony without needing to use any tools. It'll provide you some privacy and even some shade.
Set up a Hammock
Colleges have become more lenient on where students can set up hammocks because they've become so popular. Students use them as quiet reading nooks or a nice place to take a nap between classes. During the summer, you can set up a hammock in the yard outside your apartment if you don't have a patio. Just look for a shady place between two trees and you're good to go.
Chances are good other students will do the same, so you'll have people to socialize with while you relax. You can even use the opportunity to make new friends by bringing a cooler with drinks and snacks. If everyone pitches in to buy a game like bean bag toss, you'll quickly make a new favorite spot to hang just outside your front door.
Get Creative With Crates
I'm guessing you're usually tight on spending money, so if you feel like you're limited because of your budget, you're not alone. You're also not out of options.
See if you can snag a couple of crates from a nearby business! If you drape a blanket over them and add a pillow, they make an urban chic place to sit. They're also a practical side table you can eventually use to tote goods when you move out. It's a win-win.
Use Bright Colors
It's a well-known design hack that adding a mirror to a room will make it feel bigger. Bright colors do that, too! They liven up any space, especially a patio. Splash your balcony with color by growing bright flowers or laying out a rug with a multicolored design.
Even if you spend an afternoon hanging out inside, you'll still have something beautiful to admire out your window. The colors could also find their way inside your apartment if you decorate your whole place with the same color scheme.
When summer finally arrives, everyone wants to get outside. Although the afternoons might reach really hot temperatures, it's still the best time of year to be able to do fun things.
People start exploring what's around town or even take vacations that focus on being outside. Outdoor activities are great, but most of them will make you spend time getting to and from them, or even pay to enjoy them. Why not use what you already have by making your outdoor space a fun place to hang out?
Whether you have a patio or just a patch of grass behind your apartment, there are plenty of things you can try to make the perfect hangout spot for your friends.
Decorate with lots of colors or hang a hammock up for a few hours. You don't need to have your own pool or be able to host a neighborhood barbecue to do something fun.
Make a reading nook for yourself or a nice place to enjoy a meal. Whatever you decide to do, your outdoor hangout space is going to rock.
