It’s Thursday night, two o’clock in the morning and your trash can is filled to the brim with the empty cans of energy drinks. Your eyes feel like they are about to jailbreak from your skull and the world is all but a blurry mess of unending words. But hark! You have finally finished the last page of your study guide, thereby completing the final challenge. You’re ready for that nine AM final you have tomorrow. That awesome feeling of accomplishment surges into your caffeine-poisoned veins and you just want to scream out in utter triumph (it’s too late for that though and you don’t want to risk waking your RA). You lean back in one of those precarious dorm chairs in Heritage (you know the ones) and let out a long exhale that translates to screw this, I’m out! You’re all but ready to burn all the books, throw out all your hard work, and never look at another learning task again until the next semester starts.

I don’t blame you. We’ve all put in a lot of hard work this semester and it’s easy to just want to throw in the towel on learning during the summer. But my dearest reader, I warn you against such an enticing prospect!

Learning can be a beautiful thing. I know that school can sometimes make it hard to see, but it is true nonetheless. And I’m not just talking about book-learning. You could go outside and learn about nature on your own, or learn how to engage in a new hobby like cosplaying, or learn a new language in your free time. Learning new things can come in a variety of different forms. It’s honestly up to you to make something enjoyable! It’s all about the attitude. When you head home after this semester finishes, try to keep your mind active. Do things that will challenge and excite you; take that spontaneous road trip to Florida, that cool evening walk under the summer moon, that opportunity at an animal shelter fundraiser in the town over. Keep your early morning devotional routine up and your workout at the gym. Just because school is over, doesn’t mean that you have to put an end to those things as well! You could even pick up a book from the library and fill your mind with new connections and ideas. Make it something you care about and want to learn more about. My personal favorite thing to do is to listen to True Crime podcasts every week. You always learn something valuable- like how to dispose of a body. Just kidding, but seriously! Learning is really what you make of it. Give purpose to everything you do and seek out new horizons.

Of course, it’s okay to rest and play video games and things, but it’s easy to get stuck in those habits and they can swiftly eat up all of your time. Be intentional with how you spend your summer and don’t shy away from those intellectually stimulating activities. Use this summer as an opportunity to grow your interests and hobbies!

As I grow older and older, I think I’m realizing just how precious time truly is. Every moment that you’re sitting and scrolling on your phone, every second that you’re writing a paper, every hour that you’re playing a sport- it all adds to the long and complex narrative of your life. Sometimes, it’s good to ask the questions: what is this contributing to my life? How is this building my character? Can I use this for God’s kingdom? Every moment of our lives belong to Christ. That doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun and chill from time to time (indeed, God Himself rested on the seventh day of creation!), but it does mean that we have a responsibility to steward our existence wisely.

As you head home this week, don’t shy away from learning and growing opportunities. Let your mind be like an open notebook that’s constantly adding notes that can be useful for later. Don’t let summer slip away without setting goals for yourself and having fun working at them. All that said, have a glorious and blessed summer!