Summer is finally here! Even though I'll be taking summer classes, and working a million hours a week, I still consider summer as a little break from life. A break from being a college kid, a break from being serious, a break from being lame. Summer is my time to have a good time, make a lot of money, and improve myself for the next school year! Summer is sort of my own New Year's. I even make a list of things I want to do for the summer. I do a lot of other things to prepare for my summer too! So here are five amazing steps to ensure that my summer is great and I promise, if you follow these steps, you'll have a great summer too!

1. If you're into self-help, find a few self-help books you want to read over the summer. Then you have to actually read them! Right now I'm reading "Strong Looks Better Naked" by Khloe Kardashian. And yes, you may be rolling your eyes right now, but the book is amazing. It's got lot's of health and fitness tips, plus emotional tips, and then, of course, Kardashian gossip. Even if you hate them, I bet you love their juicy gossip.

2. Make a list of all the fun and crazy things you want to do during the summer. I really am in love with lists. I feel like they make the world go round. Making a list of all the fun activities will ensure that you never have "nothing to do!" I like to split my list up by budget, one list of free activities, one list of cheap adventures, then full on $100 and up of road trips and extravagant plans. I know, it sounds crazy, and you definitely don't have to go to the OCD lengths that I do, but it is still a great idea! Then when you and your friends are bored out of your mind you can bring out the list and pick something awesome to do! Plus, it's so satisfying to cross each activity or destination off your list.

3. Make some money! Unless you're from a nice wealthy family (if only we were all so lucky), you can't really have a great summer if you aren't getting, at least, a little bit of money! If you'd like, go find you a nice job with a steady pay check. But if you're lazy, do something more creative. You can sell your clothes to Plato's Closet, maybe babysit a few nights, whatever it is you need to do to get some cash in your pocket. You're going to need gas money for all of those adventures!

4. Drink water! Water is very important all of the time, but especially in the summer. It's really hot outside, especially if you live in Texas like me, and you don't want to be passing out of dehydration while you're completing all of the awesome summer tasks on your list. And make sure you're drinking extra water if your theme song for the summer is Shots by LMFAO feat. Lil John.

5. Last but not least, have fun. That may sound dumb, because obviously you'll have fun, especially if you complete steps one through four. But sometimes it's hard to have fun. Sometimes it's hard to let yourself go and not let the stress of life take over. That's what the steps are for though. They sort of keep you accountable, they force you to have a good time. Granted, not everyone can just take three months off from life and go wild, but everyone can afford at least one day. If all you get is one day this summer, make sure you don't waste any time trying to figure out what to do (refer to the list) and make the best of it!

Summer is here! It's time to make some memories, people!