Summer is a great time full of limited responsibility, beach days, tan lines, and endless bowls of fruit. We are thankful for all of the memories it has brought us, but as the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder, so it’s about that time we grow apart from summer—at least until next year. Don’t get too disappointed though, because there’s so much to look forward to in the upcoming months as you say goodbye to your beloved olive skin color (don’t worry, you’ll get it back eventually):

You can start putting on the extra layer

With winter approaching, to prevent you from getting hypothermia, it’s necessary to cover up a little more than in the summer. So, prepare yourself for sweatshirts, long sleeve tees, and undershirts. However, there is a perk that comes with constantly having to wear extra layers of clothing: you can also put on an extra layer of fluff over your stomach. Since your stomach will be covered for a minimum of 4 months, you have the freedom to eat all of your Halloween candy, your Thanksgiving feast, and even all of those Christmas-time baked goods your grandma won't stop making. No one will see your gut for a while, so indulge while the time is right.

You can stop dripping sweat every time you step outside

Especially going to school in Texas, the heat is ridiculous right now. It might be nice every now and again when you decide to lay out and tan, but a majority of the time it leads to an inconvenience. You have to plan your outfits to class around anticipated sweat and basically just prepare yourself to arrive to class dripping sweat unless you’re a fairy and you magically sparkle instead. In general, it’s much easier to layer up to prevent the cold from getting in than to dress for 100-degree weather with 60% humidity.

It’s the holiday season

Although school might be back in full swing, the stress of the semester makes you appreciate the little time you have off for holidays that much more. You live for the weeks you get a single day off from classes such as Labor Day or fall break. And when you finally make it far enough through the semester to make it to Thanksgiving break, those 5 days off from school hold enough value to feel like a month-long break. Also, the months of September through February hold so many holidays that it feels like your always celebrating—and that’s the way life should be lived.

Family Time

So although you might be a little bummed about summer coming to an end, don’t get too down on yourself because there’s so much more fun to look forward to. Prepare yourself for endless sweet treats, holiday cheer, decorative Christmas lights, and so much more because it’s all coming up, right around the corner.