Summer break: expectations vs reality

Nothing is more rewarding than finishing exams knowing you’ll be greeted with at least three months of holidays and SUMMER. In an attempt to procrastinate from study, you probably made a lot of grand plans for the best summer ever. Even though it happens every year, you’re never prepared for the reality of summer break…

Expectation: Working on that summer bod and tan
Reality: You go days without seeing natural light…

Thanks Netflix for ensuring that we go days without ever leaving bed. You were probably imagining a lot more days spent by the pool or on the beach working on that tan. But bed is calling your name and it’s hard to muster up the strength to leave when you haven’t had the chance to be this lazy since the last uni break.

And let’s face it – spring is over and it’s too late to work on that summer bod. Christmas will be here soon and that’s going to destroy any hopes of eating healthy and in moderation…

Expectation: So much free time!
Reality: So so bored

During exams you would have killed for some peaceful down time where you had nothing to worry about. Now is your time to do just that – but somehow it only takes a day (or less) for all that free time to become excruciatingly boring. You want to call your friends, but they’ve all ditched you for an overseas adventure.

Expectation: Rolling in cash from extra shifts at that part-time job
Reality: “Where did all my money go?”

Christmas is a conflicting time for anyone in retail – it’s the busiest time so you’re manager is eager to give you lots more shifts. Seems like a win win – more money and a cure to boredom. But working in retail over Christmas is a fresh kind of hell. All the terrible customers somehow get worse at this time of year when present-buying and stress levels are high.

If you’re lucky enough not to work in retail, you still might find that your summer funds are looking a bit low. With so many Christmas presents to buy and more time for activities, you don’t feel any richer than you did throughout semester.

Expectation: Exams are over – not going near the laptop until next semester
Reality: Job applications, internships, work, work, work

You were so ready to not look at your laptop again for a long while, lest it bring up some horrible flashbacks of those days of cramming. If you’ve finished uni forever though, you’re probably straight into job-search mode. With the amount of research and cover-letter writing required, you feel like you’re not really on a break at all.

And for those who thought they’d leave their internship until the summer break, you’re probs regretting that decision now, huh?

Expectation: Going to be productive and get life admin sorted
Reality: You’ll blink and it’ll be semester one of 2017 (and you’ve done nothing)

There were so many things you put off all semester, and you had a valid excuse of assignments and exams. Now you have no excuse, but that won’t stop you from avoiding the boring life admin stuff. You might tell yourself you have plenty of time, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly the summer break will fly by (and how little you will have to show for it).