It happens the same way year after year.

Bogged down by the strain of dead week, my sleep-deprived mind craves pause and serenity — a time when I can stop being a student and separate myself from the constant stress of college life.

And at that point in the year, it always seems that my only release is summer.

For weeks, I spend time wishing for the day I can walk out of my last exam of the semester and have nothing on my mind. I spend inordinate amounts of time thinking of all the fun things I’m going to go out and do, of all the meaningful projects I’m going to complete. I spend so much time doing this in fact, that I actually cause myself way more stress than is absolutely necessary.

It’s amazing how easy it is to procrastinate while you daydream.

But the truth is that real summer is much different from that daydream summer, and I’ve come to the realization that I’m not a big fan of summer.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some distinct advantages to summertime, especially if, like me, you opt not to take summer classes.

It’s more relaxed. There are no exams, no homework and, besides the clamor of increased construction, there’s nothing but calm and quiet all over campus.

But that last part is what eventually gets to me — it’s a little too quiet.

According to figures from University Planning and Analysis, student enrollment is down by about 75 percent in the summer compared to a normal semester. That means only an average of about 7,000 of the average 29,000 students normally enrolled in the University are around.

And it’s this fact that seems to strip the fun out of the atmosphere of N.C. State’s community. After all, it’s really hard to experience college life without students.

So every year, as summer comes to a close, I find that I can’t wait for fall.

When that weekend in August rolls back around again, students rush back to campus in droves. A campus that was once so dead during the summer comes alive again, and with it, the randomness that gives college life its unique identity.

But that excitement and anticipation brings about the same problems every other semester can bring.

Traffic. Exams. Tuition. Homework.

In short — stress.

But as I sit and listen to this campus outside my window, I’ve come to realize that college is definitely a mixed bag.

Stress is part of the college experience. You can’t have free food on Harris Field without the WebAssign. You can’t see the guys streaking through the Brickyard on St. Patrick’s Day without paying too much for textbooks.

So take it all in.

If there’s one thing I know now, it’s that I’ve wasted too much time waiting for a break in the “college experience,” however stressful that experience may be.

And I don’t think I’ll be wishing for summer anymore.