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Already Missing University Life? Try One Of These 17 Ways To Escape Any Case Of Summer Boredom

And if none of these work, sleeping is always an option.

lexisbyrda

Jun 10, 2019

University of North Carolina

137

Already Missing University Life? Try One Of These 17 Ways To Escape Any Case Of Summer Boredom

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I don't know about you, but it's one month into summer and I'm already feeling kind of stagnant. I don't necessarily miss classes and homework, but I kind of miss the freedom of living on/near a college campus and being just a five-minute walk away from friends at any given moment.

If you're starting to feel that summer boredom—or if you're just looking for new ways to capitalize on summer free time—look no further. Here are a few ways to make the most of the summer months.

1. Find a new recipe and master it.

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You can make a personal dessert or dinner for the whole family—it's really up to you. I recommend finding a good smoothie recipe so you can kill two birds with one stone; you're escaping summer boredom and summer heat.

2. Use an online generator to randomly select a new Netflix show to binge.

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Even if it doesn't look like your kind of thing, you may be surprised. New summer, new obsession, amirite?

3. Shoot your shot with a potential summer fling.

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Keep seeing a cutie around town? Maybe you should make a move. There's never a dull moment with the right person.

4. Experiment with some new hairstyles/makeup looks.

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A fun new 'do is sure to help you feel less bored. If nothing else, you can send dramatic, glamorous selfies to your friends to pass the time.

5. Do some summer cleaning.

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If you're miserably bored, you could always start tidying up—maybe even pack up some old childhood things you've been meaning to donate/sell/throw away for a while now. Better yet, why don't you finally unpack your clothes from the school year?

6. Download a new game on your phone.

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This sounds juvenile, but come on. No one has time for games when class is in session, but you might as well enjoy the nostalgia of redownloading Candy Crush now that you're free again.

7. Explore your hometown.

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Don't normally hang out at the park or the local library? Maybe you've been missing out. Worst case scenario, you now have an opportunity to people-watch, which is always interesting.

8. Get a job, you lazy bum.

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Although I guess your summer job might be the primary source of your boredom, huh?

9. Try some form of journaling.

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I did a bullet journal planner for the entire 2018-2019 school year over the preceding summer, and it really kept me busy. You could also try a dream journal or just a thoughts journal—it could be refreshingly introspective to mull over your thoughts and experiences at the end of every day.

10. Do a thorough internship/career search.

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It might not be a very relaxing pastime, but it's definitely a productive one. If you have the mental capacity this summer, you might as well put some effort into planning for the years to come. Future you will be grateful.

11. Aimlessly walk around Target/Wal-Mart/Costco/etc.

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People-watch or take advantage of summer sales. Or literally just look at stuff. IKEA is a great option, too.

12. Spend hours watching videos on TikTok.

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Look, if you follow the right accounts it's literally just Vine 2.0. Do you really have anything better to do?

13. Video chat with school friends.

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Or at least shoot them a text. Maybe they're bored, too.

14. Clean out your closet.

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Whether you sell your clothes or donate them, at least you'll have a refreshed wardrobe. It might be time for you to let go of that shirt you've had since 7th grade, pal.

15. Try your hand at a new creative pursuit.

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Digital art, painting, poetry, novel-writing, songwriting, photography, dancing, singing, playing the clarinet—there are literally so many new things you could try in your free time. Who knows, you may have a hidden talent.

16. Spend some more time outside.

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Some people already do spend tons of time outdoors, but I've been wasting away in my bedroom for about a month now. You could go to the pool or even simply walk around your front yard to get some fresh air—just wear sunscreen either way because that summer sun is brutal. Also, if you can't afford a week-long beach getaway, maybe you could carpool with some friends for a day trip to the coast?

17. Read a new book (or, even better, a whole series).

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College ruins the fun of reading for a lot of students (if high school hadn't done that already), but don't let it destroy your own enjoyment. You could tackle anything from a fun beach read (I'd recommend "Crazy Rich Asians"; the whole series is fantastic) to some high fantasy (I'm reading "Lord of the Rings" myself) to a romance novel (I can't name any, but I'm sure there are really good ones).

Whatever you decide to do, try to make the most of this summer. Soon most of us will be year-round workers with no free time and no souls. Not yet, though!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Already Missing University Life? Try One Of These 17 Ways To Escape Any Case Of Summer Boredom

And if none of these work, sleeping is always an option.

1. Find a new recipe and master it.

2. Use an online generator to randomly select a new Netflix show to binge.

3. Shoot your shot with a potential summer fling.

4. Experiment with some new hairstyles/makeup looks.

5. Do some summer cleaning.

6. Download a new game on your phone.

7. Explore your hometown.

8. Get a job, you lazy bum.

9. Try some form of journaling.

10. Do a thorough internship/career search.

11. Aimlessly walk around Target/Wal-Mart/Costco/etc.

12. Spend hours watching videos on TikTok.

13. Video chat with school friends.

14. Clean out your closet.

15. Try your hand at a new creative pursuit.

16. Spend some more time outside.

17. Read a new book (or, even better, a whole series).

Subscribe to our Newsletter

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Phase One: The “I got this” phase

Phase Two: The “I have time” phase

Phase Three: The uncontrollable sobbing phase

Phase Four: The “help me, I've fallen and I can't get up” phase

Phase Five: The rejoicing phase

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

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