Summer has come and gone.

This is a hard pill to swallow for some, but as fall draws near, it seems like summer flew by. Despite having three months of freedom, I regret how I spent my time. Here are some ways I could have made the most of my summer break.

Sleep. Summer is a great time to catch up on some much-needed rest. As classes pick up and course work grows by the day, the days of sleeping in when the sun peeks through the curtains are long past. Though getting those eight hours of sleep in is still possible, it’s difficult in the balancing act of life, school, and everything else.

Budgeting Screen Time. As far as non-educational screen time goes, you can never get enough of binging TV shows, movies, social media, and video games. With the abundance of technology in our hands, we have entire TV series, blockbuster movies, and Triple-A console games in our back pocket. It’s easy to get lost in the digital world. Although playing video games and watching movies is great, I wish spread out my summer schedule besides video games and YouTube from dusk till dawn.

Life beyond the digital screen. Although escapism is always a nice distraction, nature also paints a pretty picture. Despite living in everyone else’s paradise, I never seem to get enough of it. As the sun shines bright as the trade winds blow the loose leaves and palm trees, there will be plenty of days where one will say, “it’s such a nice day, I could have gone to the beach.”

Get A Job. The number of times I have heard that phrase over the break was absurd, but as many college students know, money is king, and textbooks are expensive. Although summer is best known for kicking back and letting the world go by, it never hurt to have a little extra in the bank. As young adults set to enter the world soon, it is never too early to get started on our savings/retirement funds.

Tickets to normalcy. Summer was a great time to get your vaccine if you have yet to do so. With the rise of the Delta variant, the virus extended its summer tour and has yet to announce its end date. That all-important needle poke can also get you free donuts from Krispy Kreme, gift cards from just about anywhere, and cold hard cash.

See You Later. No one likes goodbyes, but the end of summer is full of them. Many of our friends and family have gone back to their distant college dorms or went back to work. As schedules get busier, finding time for those close to you becomes harder as the school year progresses. Although we can still call, text, or FaceTime/Zoom, it’s never the same as hanging out with them.