You’ve just graduated high school and this is your last summer before becoming an adult. Making your senior summer the best summer yet is an amazing way to start off your new journey as an adult by making memories you will never forget with friends and family. Sure, you may be looking forward to going to out late and hanging out with your friends, but this summer is different. You could be saying some bittersweet goodbyes to friends you may have grown up with. Before you head out to discover new challenges and life changing experiences in the fall, here are some ways to make this the best senior summer you could imagine. 

As you are transitioning into the summer, it’s important to remember to not only spend time with friends, but your family too. For some, this may be the last time for a while that you will be able to spend quality time with your loved ones before you go off into a new job, higher education, or creating a life for yourself. Spending time with friends and family could mean anything from game nights to going on little trips. This can create long-lasting memories and strengthen your relationships with them before you start in this new chapter of your life.

“We did a big summer barbeque and ended the night with a bonfire,” shared Biology teacher Rachel Cervi when asked how she celebrated graduating with her closest friends. “We all went to a coffee shop and wrote each other letters to take with us away to college,” Cervi added. These actions may seem small, but they create strong memories and can help you say “see you later” instead of “goodbye” to your close friends before you embark on your new adventures. 

When asked how to make the best out of the summer, senior Roza Lulgjuraj stated, “Hanging out a little bit longer, not just staying in as much, and going to the beach with a bunch of friends.” Lulgjuraj also mentioned “meeting new people,” which is a great way to make some new friends, whether it be from the college you are going to, a job, or just meeting new people on a whim.

“I constantly was out with friends and did things that made me happy,” Grace Carruthers, Troy High School graduate, stated about how she spent her summer before college. Carruthers also explained that “It’s honestly about soaking up every last second with the people you love from high school.”

What do you do to soak up every second of the summer with your friends and loved ones though? Of course going to the beach or pool is a good way to spend time with friends and cool off from the summer heat. You could also plan a road trip even if it’s only a day long. Driving around, listening to music and seeing beautiful sights with your friends and family can create long lasting memories and strengthen relationships with the important people in your life. Even going on a picnic, having a movie marathon, going on a shopping spree or trying out a new restaurant can be memorable activities, especially when you know that some of your best friends are moving away and you might not see your family for a while. 

Along with Cervi, English teacher Joey Verhelle recalls bonfires as being a popular thing to do: “Some things we did all the time was just have bonfires and bring as many people as we could together and just have fun.”

The summer is yours to create, whether that be relaxing and having the time of your life before going back to your regularly scheduled programming of college, work, etc. Time will start going by faster than you may expect, and this summer will eventually be coming to an end, despite wishes for it to never end, even with the excitement of new experiences in which you may learn from and opening new chapters in your life. Experiences and all the good and bad you’ve been through with the people who are close to you, knowing this can help you from feeling homesick even after your loved ones are hundreds of miles away from you.