One Pimple is One Too Many - Summer 2011

Hello all! Long time no talk!
Hope you've been doing well!

Life has been going great for this college student. I do apologize for the delay in postings, studying for finals was crazier then I anticipated but thankfully it all paid off! Good grades are always something worth celebrating :)

Now that I've been on summer break for awhile, it's been nice to finally relax and get back into the practice of writing this lovely advice column: I definitely have missed it!

Every summer is an opportunity. You have unlimited amounts of free time for two to three months!

If you're looking for some new things to do, here's a few tips:

- Volunteer
If you like to give back, look into volunteering at a local children's center or at an elderly center. Not only is volunteering a lot of fun but for those of you who are college conscious, it helps to have volunteer time for your applications and for work experience.

Speaking of work...

- Get a Job
Not only will getting a job gain you valuable work experience but it can help put a little bit more money in your pocket! Now if you have some expenses that need to be paid (paying back a friend, car insurance or gas) then please use the money you earn wisely and pay appropriately. If all your money is for pure fun, then I would still recommend setting aside some money to save. It's always smart to save.

And last but not least,

- Enjoy Your Time Off 
Whatever you do this summer, enjoy it! For many of you, this summer is just a break between another long school year. For others, this could be the summer before your freshman year of high school or college. Or if you're like me, this is a summer break inbetween your college career.

For those of you going into high school (or junior high), enjoy this time with your middle school friends, especially if you're all going to different high schools.
For those of you going into your first year of college, definitely enjoy your time at home. Regardless of whether your college is close to home or thousands of miles away, when you're at school studying hard you'll want to have good memories of your time back home.
For those of you who are like me who are away from home for the whole year, PLEASE enjoy your time at home. You already have experience with being away from home and know what its like to be homesick. While you're at home, enjoy the time you have with your family and friends!

Writing this column has proven to be more difficult than expected while I'm in school but for the summer, I hope to be more consistent. I'm still working it out so that in the fall I'll be able to be more consistent with this column then as well.

Hope you are having a fantastic summer!

Ariel <3