It is only the beginning of summer, and already it feels as if there is nothing to do.
Despite work, summer classes and other obligations, it can be easy to fall in the trap of flipping channels and sighing about the boring day.
When you have been going nonstop from morning until late night, suddenly it feels like there is very little to do, according to Stephanie Kim, senior theater major.
Aside from lying on the couch and wallowing in your boredom, there are a few other ways to combat summer doldrums.
"If you're bored, that means you're not trying hard enough," said Marian Stillman, junior English major.
A good way to combat blahs is to occupy your time as much as possible.
Forget renting a movie. Start renting television series. If you never had HBO and never understood all the jokes about "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under," now is the time to get in the loop. Or you could jump back in time and rent shows like "Fraggle Rock" and "Pinky and the Brain."
However, time in front of the television doesn't have to depend on a DVD player.
"I start a new video game at the beginning of every summer," said Matt Goad, senior communications major. "I can go days without playing it, but then I always have it to go back to."
For a more physical activity, rearranging rooms is a good choice. Have you moved the furniture since you moved in? Reverse it all, set things at weird angles, or channel your chi and do it "Feng Shui" style. For example, place something blue or something that reminds you of water at one end of your room to enhance career opportunities.
If decorating is not exhilarating enough, take a trip. Be sure to invite many people to spread out the cost of gas, though.
"I went to Six Flags in St. Louis, and it was pretty much amazing," said
Joseph Marino, senior biology major. "Of course there's also Lambert's, home of the throwing rolls."
Some students have found that you don't even have to go that far for a trip.
"One summer, I went to the swimming pools at some of those nice
Germantown apartments," said Silpa Pallapothu, senior biology major.
"If someone bothers you, just say you're visiting a friend and point vaguely at some building," she said. "It's only slightly illegal."
Finally, although it may be hard to get started, take small steps and begin work on one of those projects you keep putting off. Doing a little bit each day will help.
For instance, get some of those snapshots on your camera developed. It is easy to put it off when you have to print them yourself. Places like Walgreens and Wal-Mart print pictures fairly cheap, right from your digital camera memory card. You can manipulate them in the store or have them automatically enhanced. Then, slap them in a photo album or throw them in a scrapbook.
