How to Survive Being Home for the Summer

Whenever I’m home from college for the summer I encounter a lot of dilemmas:

1. I now have to answer to my parents and they want to know where I am whereas, in college, I could be wherever whenever and only had to call them once a week.
2. I’m away from all of my close proximity college friends and am given a huge expanse of free time.
3. I spend way more money than I did while I was in college. Who knew ice cream and shopping trips could add up so quickly?!
4. I’m so freaking bored and have endless amounts of time and nothing to do with it and thus fall into a bottomless pit of unproductiveness.

I know, I just spooked you for the summer. You’ve got a sense of dread that used to just be joy because finals are almost over. It’s okay, though! Being home for the summer isn’t a bad thing, but it will take some adjusting. Here’s how to survive being home for the summer without losing your sanity and productivity.

1. Try to see your parent’s perspective.

Negotiate a little bit and attempt to compromise with your parents. Suggest you have a later curfew but promise to tell them where you are during the night. Invite people over but promise to clean the living room after. Make plenty of plans with friends but promise to always be home for Sunday dinners.

Create some kind of balance and remind your parents you were on your own in college and doing fine but do acknowledge you are under their roof and should still follow some sort of order.

2. Organize all of your school shit ASAP.

On move out day this is the last thing you want to be doing, but it should be one of the first things you do when you get home. Whether this means packing it in the attic or your storage unit, get this done ASAP. The longer you let your things sit out, the more you’ll avoid them and the more the clutter will build.

Sort your things and put them away until school starts up again. Toss files and papers you won’t need. You probably don’t even want to look at this stuff until the end of August.

3. Reach out to hometown friends and family.

Let them know you’re back home for the summer and you’ve missed them! Follow by making concrete plans with them. Emphasis on concrete. Set an actual day, time and location to hang out with these people to avoid the endless “Let’s hang out!” back and forth messages. Plan an actual friend date (here are plenty of ideas if you need them) and add it to your calendar!

Be sure to ask your friends about what they’ve been up to and avoid going on a huge, bubbling monologue about your own college experience and friends. Keep it equal when it comes to catching up!

4. Create a budget.

This is especially important as a college student! It’s really easy to spend a lot of money during the summer (more time to shop + more trips to go on = $$$) but it’s important to put aside cash to have during the next fall semester.

You can create a weekly or monthly budget and allot some money to different aspects of your life. For example, this summer I will likely budget my money into a few categories: Transportation, Food, Recreation, Savings, and a separate category for my beginning of summer trip to London.

Definitely take note of these posts on Money Saving Shopping Tips  and Being Money Smart in College.

5. Keep yourself busy and productive.

If you don’t have an internship or job for the summer, keep yourself busy with other tasks. This could range from volunteering to making more social plans to even starting a blog. Give yourself things to do in order to avoid that slump where you end up wearing pajamas for two days straight and can’t remember when you last washed your hair.

Definitely look at my article 8 Productive Things to do This Summer if you need some ideas!

6. Keep in touch with college friends.

It isn’t always possible to see college friends, even when they live a state over. Even if you can’t meet up in person, still make time to keep in touch with everyone. A group chat can help you all stay in the loop with anything major or exciting while also serving as the perfect place to exchange memes.

You can also plan occasional Skype/Facetime dates with your friends from college. This can serve as the perfect mood booster! If you’re feeling extra old school, sending a letter in the mail can also be the perfect way to keep in touch and surprise a friend.

7. Hit up your favorite hometown spots.

A great tip is to avoid going to all of them in the first week you return. Doing so is kind of like eating all of the candy you just bought in one sitting…hold off! Space them out a bit to make your summer feel even more special. This is also a great way to get out of the house and let off steam when necessary.

8. Plan a trip.

A luxurious Hawaiian vacation may not be in your budget, but if possible, try allotting some cash towards a small trip with friends or your S.O. It can even be a weekend trip to a few towns over, anything will do. Having something to look forward to and something to get you out of the house and away from your parents for a weekend might be the perfect breath of fresh air.

Note:  Tips for planning a trip with friends 

9. Start a new TV series.

This may seem counterproductive to any advice ever,  but starting a series can help you occupy free time. Summer is a great time to watch the show you’ve been dying to watch but haven’t had time for during the year. I recommend trying Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Girls or Grey’s Anatomy!

The key to this tip is moderation. This is not an excuse to have binges and marathons 24/7. Use this show as a treat or as a nice way to spend downtime that doesn’t involve arguing with your parents or lying on the couch being bored.

How will you survive being home for the summer?