The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, and summer is rapidly approaching; we are in the heart of spring. Oh spring, we love the way you light up our lives! When people say “spring is just an inferior version of summer,” they are spreading blasphemy, because spring is the bestest. 

There’s 91 full days of springful occasions, and school comes along ‘till it’s ended. So the annual problem with our generation is finding a good way to spend it. Like! May! Be! 

1. Continuing to have class indoors when the weather has been so nice it is almost sacrilegious not to. To convince your teachers to let you have class outside, simply remark on how nice the sun is. When your teacher turns to look at the window and asks if the wifi works outside—it doesn’t—vigorously nod your head. After all, Shakespeare probably intended on reading “A Midnight Summer’s Dream” outside, right? 

2. What’s better than reading a school book with your class outside? Reading a fun book on the field or any other outdoor space on campus! (We personally love the benches sandwiched between Bliss and the Quad.) Get yourself a page-turner, put away your phone, and enjoy the perfect mixture of fresh air and literature. A bonus, if using a paperback book and sitting alone, is you will most certainly give off mysterious main character energy while simultaneously immersing yourself in a lovely book. 

3. Now is absolutely the perfect time to start a garden, and there is no store better to pick up a couple of seedlings than Lakeside School. Grab your plant expert friend and take a short walk around campus. From English ivy right behind the ceramics studio to the abundance of monsteras and succulents in the AAC, get a pair of small scissors and began clipping. 

4. HIKING. You must hike during spring. What better foray into summer than going on a nice weekend trek through a field of flowers or on a lush green mountain? Grab a backpack filled with snacks (and probably a water bottle too; hydrate or irate!), put on a functional yet stylish hiking outfit, and you’re all set. You’ll get tons of exercise, and maybe some cute pics, along the way!

5. Procrastinating studying for finals is absolutely our favorite way of spending the stretch between spring break and summer; in fact, it has become a little tradition. Doing so doesn’t necessarily require a guide, but if you’re new to the art of studying not a week in advance but the night before, then we recommend spending your free time at UVillage. There, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a group of similar students—some in high school, some from the nearby University of Washington. 

6. If you want to procrastinate studying for your finals even more, you should hang out outdoors with your friends! Consider a waterfront picnic at Magnuson or Discovery Park or rent paddle boards (or a rowboat if you’re feeling old-fashioned) at Greenlake. 

7. What else is there to look forward to in May besides May Day? Last year’s attractions included a water-dunking tank, bouncy houses, and a cotton candy machine, but by far the most important takeaway was not to wear jeans and a turtleneck like we did. Make sure to buy your May Day shirts and tickets early (another way to procrastinate for finals!). 

8. The last activity we recommend you take part in this spring, while a little on the quirkier side, is candle making with homemade essential oils. Who doesn’t love lighting a candle while doing homework to romanticize their life? And imagine the pride you will feel everytime you light a candle and think to yourself, “I made that.” All you need is wax, a wick, an empty candle container, and essential oils. During winter, it would be acceptable to buy essential oils from the store, but it’s spring, so in an effort to avoid complete shame, please make your own essential oils! Go to a lavender field, for example, and grab the best shoots you see. From there, all you need to do is distill the flowers for a few hours, and you’re good (more or less)! As opposed to just buying candles from a local candle store, homemade candles, while more challenging to make, are well worth it in the end — you’ll end up with a high-quality, incredibly inexpensive candle scented with absolutely anything you like.

From procrastinating for finals to hiking in the gorgeous Cascades, the time between spring and summer break is one that we should cherish instead of counting down. We understand that “stop and smell the roses” is a cliché, so we propose an amendment to follow for the rest of the season: “Stop and smell the tulips.” And while you’re at it, start a tulip garden.