Remember when we were in elementary school and summertime was the highlight of the entire year? It was the time to take day trips to the pool or beach, play with chalk and ride on our worn out scooters in the driveway, and chasing down the ice cream man every time he made a celebrity appearance in the neighborhood. Summer was the best time of the year by far as a young kid. But now that we're older and lots of us are in college, summer is not quite the same.

If you're lucky, you're probably working a lot during the summer to try and make up what you spent the year before at school. We all know it gets pretty expensive, not to mention summer is the time to try and intern somewhere to gain experience and harvest connections for the future once we graduate.

But, I know I am not alone when I say, I cannot wait for summer to end and school to start again.

What makes going back to school for the fall semester so appealing? Over the last couple of years, I've noticed the week before I go back to school, I feel like a giddy child waking up on Christmas morning. Sounds ridiculous, but there are many things that contribute to this overwhelming sense of excitement. Needless to say, I think the core of it all is knowing that you will be reunited with your friends so soon. Sure, we see our friends in the summer a few times, but nothing like seeing them every day in a completely different environment. Upon returning to school, you also get to see the friends you haven't seen all summer whether it be because you're both so busy or live too far from each other. Knowing you will be reunited again with your friends who make school feel like a home away from home is a game changer.

Not to mention, it's the time to fall in love again with your campus. Remember all the walking you did last year whether it was to class or just somewhere to hang out? It's almost time again to familiarize yourself with the beauty of the campus, architecture, and people surrounding you. Some of the best memories of the semester come from relaxing on the main quad and just soaking it all in.

And finally, your independence is all yours once again. It's quite an adjustment to go from taking care of yourself and making decisions on your own to moving back in with your parents for the summer and following their rules instead. As scary and lonely as it can be sometimes being on your own at school, it is a freedom that can be tremendously rewarding once you take a deep breath and remember you are doing just fine.

So, needless to say, I cannot wait to get back to school for the upcoming semester. Not that I'm counting down the days or anything.