By Sean Kranske, Contributing Writer

With the semester finally over, college students are finding themselves with a lot of free time on their hands. A large portion of this time will be set aside for summer work, but that still leaves plenty of free hours throughout the week that would usually be filled with homework or studying. Here are three things that college students can do to fill that empty time.

3. Don’t forget about your friends

This sounds really simple, but sometimes we can get so caught up in the work-sleep, wash-repeat cycle that we forget that there are other people that might actually want to see us. It’s easy to break this cycle by just sending a couple texts or making a phone call. You don’t have to do anything extravagant, just be sure to spend time with people you like away from work.

2. Read something

College classes can sometime make reading feel like a chore. During summer break, this doesn’t have to be the case. There are countless books about a massive variety of topics, so there’s bound to be something that interests you. If you don’t know what to read, I’d recommend just browsing at a local bookstore to find something that looks interesting to you. Or, if you’re a fan of a film or television series that is based on a novel, try reading it. The book is always better.

1. Do something different

Summer is a time where we can finally break out of the college rut. We tend to go to the same places almost every day, only making minor changes here and there. However, with the free time that summer allows for, we can switch things up more often. You can meet up with your friends and go somewhere new, if you want. You can go to a restaurant you’ve never been to, or drive to a city you’ve never seen. You can even just change the type of music you listen to everyday. If you always listen to the pop music on Pandora or Spotify, switch to the rock playlist. Who knows, you might like it.

Summer is a great opportunity to do things that you don’t have time, or maybe the energy, for during the school year. However, it’s important not to get caught in the work cycle rut that can often come with summer vacation. Even if you do little things, you can find ways to really enjoy your new-found free time.

Photo credit: Carrie Kaluger