The summer has finally ended, and if you're anything like me, you've probably already started making plans for next summer. This past summer I spent my time picnicking on the Lawn with friends, getting ahead on the classes I need for my major and exploring Charlottesville. Here are my top 5 reasons you should stay in Charlottesville next summer.
1) Make next summer more productive! I personally spent my time taking a class I needed for my major and getting accustomed to living off Grounds. I know I’ll be happy later this fall when I have fewer credits to take and more time to focus on what I love to do.
2) Even while under construction, the Grounds are absolutely beautiful in the summertime. Not only is the weather gorgeous, but the smaller student body and the slower paced lifestyle allow students to appreciate the beauty. Angelica Botlo, a second year and prospective Government and Media Studies major, “loved relaxing on the Lawn [… and] also enjoyed watching the new first years at orientation because watching them explore U.Va. and get excited about attending reminded [her of] how amazing Grounds is and how it should never be taken for granted."
3) The summer is the perfect time to explore Charlottesville! During a busy semester, it's easy to get trapped in the bubble that is college life. Whether I was exploring Heartwood Books on The Corner or visiting Darling Boutique on the Downtown Mall, my friends and I never ran out of new fun activities to do in Charlottesville.
4) The summer is the perfect time to take the courses you've always wanted to but never have time for during the semester. Whether you're a biology major who happens to love literature or an engineering major who secretly loves history, this is the perfect opportunity for you. It may even influence you to change your major. For example, taking “Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union” this summer helped solidify my decision to pursue a Foreign Affairs major instead of an Economics major.
5) Taking a very difficult course may be opposite of what you would want to do in the summer but it might be exactly what you need. Dudley Doane, U.Va. director of summer programs, described one of the primary benefits of taking a summer course to be the “intensive formats [which] allow students the luxury of focus [and] support an immersion experience.” William Stribling, a second year Biochemistry major said of the summer courses he took, “I was able to focus completely on my class and really try to understand what was
happening, rather than just doing the work[…]The class was very personal and I was able to ask questions whenever I didn't understand something.” Whether you want to fall in love with Charlottesville or have more time to ace that really difficult class, staying in Charlottesville next summer is definitely something you should consider.
