We’re a few months into the second semester, and that means it’s still cold! Winter is still hanging around making the place quite chilly. Even though we’ve had the occasional weird warm period, I’m still ecstatic for that warm summer breeze to blow past me; desperate for the middle of the year to come, and I think I’m not the only one feeling that way. But why do we all hold this fascination with the months of June, July and August? What could be so compelling about it that we count down the days to summer break?

I think I might have a few answers for those questions.

1. Weather.

I don't know about you, but I'm personally dreaming of the days where I don't have to dress in layers. I love the concept of snow, but how cold it has to be for snow just counts me out. I want the warmth of the sun back. I can't wait for the warmer temperatures. Shorts and tank tops will make their reappearances - we just have to wait it out. It's bound to get warm again eventually, right?

2. A Break.

With spring break around the corner, I'm desperate for time away from school. It's not that I don't love being at UNCG, it's just that I need a mental break from all of the work. The same goes for summer, just on a much larger scale. Summer for students is a break from the stress that follows academics, helps us regain our footing, and gets us ready to take on the world again next semester.

3. Rest.

Most commonly when I ask my friends what they're excited about for summer, they say "sleep". I couldn't agree more. I can't wait for the ability to sleep! During summer, it's our break time. We can stay up late and sleep in late if we want to. Even if you have a summer job, to an extent, you still get more sleep during the summer than during school. Summer spells sleep to the exhausted college student.

4. Time.

Summer provides a bunch of extra time for those college students who allegedly don't have any time to do fun things. It opens up so many possibilities for you to pursue. You can start a new hobby, work a summer job, or just chill out on the couch. It also gives you time to get your life in order again (see: Breaks) and renew for the next semester. By being a giant break for college and high school students, it allows more time to do what you actually want to do, instead of having to study or do homework.

5. Adventures.

Thanks to the warm weather, summer is that time where everyone tends to head for the beach. It's a time to lounge out in the sun while the ocean waves crash on the shore. Not only that though, summer is a period of adventuring. Many families choose to go on vacation during summer months, when their kids are out of school, and visit new and different places. With summer comes more time and that time can be spent adventuring through Netflix or adventuring to the beach. It's whatever you want!

6. Events.

Thanks to the flexibility that many people get during the summer months, many different events happen over the summer! I had several friends tell me that part of the reason they're excited for summer is because they have friends getting married. That's because the weather tends to be better and friends and family tend to be more open to travel. This doesn't just work for weddings though, many conferences tend to be held during summer months to allow more student traffic. My sister pointed out to me that E3, a video game convention, is held in the summer and it allows a lot of gamers to come out and explore the new merchandise.

7. Friends and Family.

This is a biggie for me, personally. Summer means more freedom to be with the people that matter most to me. With summer comes more time to see old high school friends, family members that are far off and I don't get to see often, and hang out with my friends that just don't go to school near me. Even back to a basic level, summer means I'm at home with my family again. It's pretty good to see my sisters and hang out with them for the summer - even if after the first few weeks they're begging me to go back to school!

8. Summer Stuff.

Swimming pools are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, leading to a common summer past time of hanging out at the edge of a pool. Additionally, many of the water activities come back into play with the return of summer. Flip flops and sundresses make a return from the inner depths of our closets, as do tank tops and shorts. Barbecues get fired up for outdoor parties and just good grilled food. In contrast to the heat from grilling, ice cream and popsicles come back. All of the stereotypical summer stuff comes into our lives again, and man does it feel good.