Reward Yourself: Summer Plans Abound for Bobcats

Summer is rapidly approaching for UC Merced students. After a long year of classes, homework assignments, midterms, finals, and everything else in between, students deserve to treat themselves. By treating yourself, I don’t just mean a day at the pool or a beach party with friends, but full-on vacations and non-stop events. After all you do throughout each school year, you deserve it!

If you’re planning to stay in Merced for summer, don’t feel limited as to how you can make the best of your summer. There are a lot of cities to visit, as long as you’re willing to spend a little time traveling. There is San Francisco, of course, where there are different tours offered, such as of Alcatraz. There is also Pier 39, with many different restaurants, bike riding, and for all of those who love to shop, a seven-story mall. Santa Cruz is also another good option. They have a huge boardwalk packed with rides, carnival food, and other tourist attractions.

If you do choose to stay local, the city of Merced offers different events as well. The city hosts a variety of events, from the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, An Art of Edible Flowers workshop, and an Annual Dog Walk. These occasions are good ways to connect students together with the community while having fun. There will also be events hosted on campus that will be announced closer to the beginning of the first session of summer school.

If you would like to enjoy your summer to the fullest extent possible, there is always the option of traveling abroad, or to different states. It’s also a great choice to utilize the resources that UC Merced provides, and use the summer to travel to exotic places such as Brazil or Spain. If you want to do something with a group of friends, cruises and weekend trips can be booked on expedia.com. Trips to the East Coast, such as New York, can also be relatively inexpensive with big groups. For the twenty one and older crowd, there is nothing better than a trip to Las Vegas! Wherever it may be, it is always great to experience different places and learn about the history behind them.

Most students this summer will be spending their time taking summer school courses, working summer jobs, or just relaxing in their hometown. All of these are great ways to spend the summer. Remember that summer is just as much a time to relax as it is a great time to be productive and take extra classes, intern, or make a little extra money. Whatever you end up doing for the summer, just make sure you enjoy it after all the hard work you’ve put in throughout the year.