After another semester full of tests, papers, projects, presentations and much more in between, we finally get to enjoy summer break. For many students, however, summer break can bring on unsettling feelings — we’re used to constant academic stress and schedules keeping us busy.

It’s easy to get into the mindset that we must be productive at all times during our college career, including the summer. However, we must realize a proper break from school is incredibly valuable and necessary. 

There are certainly many opportunities to be productive over the break with summer classes, internships or summer jobs in your career field. All of which are excellent ways to use the break to get ahead in your classes or enhance your resume. 

Still, it’s important to note that a summer break without doing anything offers students many ways to spend their break that are equally as valuable. Also, if you find yourself without career-focused or academic plans over the summer, it doesn’t mean that you are falling behind at all. At the end of the day, we’re all working toward our degrees.

Being in college is a grand achievement in itself that is often overlooked because we are caught up focusing on what’s next. If we never take the time to truly relax away from academic stressors, we are at risk of burnout.  

Plus, we are now able to dedicate time to hobbies or goals we weren’t able to during the busy school year, no matter how big or small. For example, you can finally read as many books as you want, take a road trip, make art, learn how to cook more than just pasta or get into a new form of exercise. 

If you don’t have a gym membership, remember Carmichael gym on campus is still open over the summer with a wide range of group fitness classes to choose from. For an affordable fee — only $70 for the summer, much better than some gyms of a similar caliber — students can access group workouts via the NC State Wellness and Recreation app. If you don’t prefer group classes, you can always work out solo or with a friend — all you need is your student ID.

The truth is that the break is what you make of it, so fill your time off with things that make you happy rather than stressing out about not being academically or professionally productive. So if that looks like binge-watching TV shows that you have been yearning to watch, spending more time in the gym or saving money from a fun summer job then enjoy it while you can during this long and deserved break.