It's almost that time of the year again: time to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall (and fall semester for a lot of us). I used to think summers were just for lazing around the house, drinking iced tea and sleeping long days. Honestly, summers aren't just for any one thing. They are for whatever it takes to make you happy while hopefully expediting your journey to your future career. That's a lot isn't it? I've learned that summers and any other free time outside of the academic school year are best used for resting and spending time with friends and family; it is also the time to think about what you accomplished in the first half of the year and what you'd like to accomplish for the rest of it and work towards that.

On that note, I can't be the only one that realized that summer's almost over, right? It's already August and school is right around the corner (closer for some than others). This is the time when some of us will desperately try to have as much fun as we can and hope that the looming school year is all just a summer-induced illusion. On the other hand, some of us will notice that the end of summer couldn't be more real and we might start looking over notes for the fall semester. Then there are the last of us trying to do a little bit of both (maybe went to Caribana and then will spend this week studying), which could possibly be the best thing to do.

Admit it, summer is the only time when you get somewhat of a break, even if it isn't for the whole summer. No matter what your future career choice, part of your summer should be designated for getting some exposure to people in the field or for furthering some skill that you'll need for said career. We all need to think this way in order to be successful people. With all that said, summer can seem no different from the regular school year for some of us folks. But if you know what you're doing, you can do everything you want and need to and then some without overwhelming yourself.

With all that said, isn't it just scary how quickly time flies by? It was literally just the beginning of summer, and now it's almost over. For those of you wondering what the heck you'll be doing for the rest of the summer and despairing because you're all out of ideas, have no fear because little time is still time. The best way to spend the rest of your summer is productively. You don't have to study every day until classes start ; you also don't have to (and shouldn't) party everyday until the first day of classes. Balance everything so that you can spend time doing a little of everything that you've had planned: spend some time studying, some time hanging out with friends and family, some time working a part-time job and ,most importantly, spend some time by yourself for yourself.

Summer is just another part of the year, and it most definitely is not endless. And I don't think anyone would want it to be. Whatever you're doing now, just make note that you need to get ready for the end of summer and the start of another semester of hard work. So enjoy it while it lasts. Soak in those last rays of sunshine, visit the beach one last time, wash out the sand out of your hair and get ready because you don't have much time left.

I've realized that the best way to spend the last days of summer is: busy but happy. Don't do anything that doesn't make you happy if you don't have to. Life is too short, especially the summers, to spend it being anything less than overjoyed. I don't have any plans for the rest of the summer, but why make plans? I'd rather be caught up in the spontaneity of life and enjoy the rest of the time that I've got left.