After all, what does it really matter if I space out for the next few days of class? Probably not a whole lot, but it could. And do I really want to ruin a semester's worth of effort when I can already smell the simmering Creole sauce? This may not be a pure motive, but it's keeping me going.

So, we make it through our last few classes, struggle through exam week and find yet one more brilliant line to insert for that pompous poetry professor.

Now what?

All too often, we collapse on the couch at home, our bellies full of good cookin' and the remote control in our hands -- one night only, in celebration of our return -- only to realize that we have two and a half more months of this. Two and a half more months of curfew, rules and "yes sir" after nine months of blissful freedom. Suddenly, we forget the all-night study sessions in our longing for all-night parties.

Now what?

The solution to this first onslaught of summer blues is the same as the solution to school-year apathy: Get involved.

Without something more than papers, tests and 300-page reading assignments we would all go crazy. And let's face it, as cool as they are, frat parties are only oh-so-fulfilling for the first 20 visits; after that, they begin to lose their shimmer.

The same thing happens within the first few weeks of summer vacation. Without a little more than long hours in the sun sipping piña coladas (virgin, of course, if we're underage), our days soon grow long and weary (longer and wearier, of course, if we're underage).

Getting involved and being productive will not only help us stay sane, but we'll walk away with a little more than we arrived. And there are a plethora of ways to reach out beyond the sand, mountains or corn fields of our homes.

We have the classic mall retail job, for starters. Though it may not be glamorous, it does pay, while getting you out of the house and away from mom's overzealous match-making.

If the mall doesn't suit your fancy, what about an internship? Of course, it's a little late to start applying, so if you don't already have something lined up, you might want to continue reading.

In addition to jobs that pay money, there are options that offer a whole lot more.

Volunteering with an organization that works in our community or surrounding area can teach us so much.

While I've never worked at Abercrombie & Fitch or interned with Congress, I have grown up giving my summers to volunteer work. I come from four generations of missionaries, and service is something I learned along with my first steps, how to hold a fork and the valuable lesson that fuchsia does not go with neon orange.

In addition to expanding my world view, I learned a number of valuable, marketable office skills. Service isn't always just about what we can give; often we take away more from the experience than we contributed. But what's important is that in the process we contributed, no matter how insignificant the amount may seem at the time.

Even if we can't afford to give all our time away -- we all have expenses -- I would encourage us all to find some way to get involved with our communities over the summer.

From library readings, soup kitchens or church ministries to overseas service opportunities, tutoring or interpreting, we can all find a way to get involved.

I know that when we first plop down on our couch, knowing exams are long behind us and we're one year closer to the real world, we don't feel like doing anything for the next 10 years, let alone our summer vacations.

But for the sake of peace in the household and our personal sanity, we need to get out and get involved.