For incoming freshman, spending the summer in Gainesville is the dream. They’re finally on their own and can do what they want. For the rest of us, spending the summer in Gainesville can be less than ideal. Maybe you didn’t get your dream internship, so you stuck around Gainesville; you need to take summer classes to stay on track with your major. Or maybe summer classes at UF was your best option; whatever the reason, we all know, let’s be real, summer in Gainesville can be a bit boring since so many students are off interning, studying abroad or just hanging out at home. But there are some things you can see and do during a summer in Gainesville that you can’t get other places that are absolutely great. I promise you your sorority sister interning in New York, best friend studying in Florence or boyfriend in Washington, D.C., won’t get to see these gems.
1. Baby Gators and their families at Preview, walking around looking adorable. Come on, you know it’s cute. And while you might feel old when you see them, like I do, you’ll probably also feel a twinge of pride as you realize how far you’ve come since you were at preview. Plus, you get the added bonus of watching moms and dads get lost 10 times in five minutes, as they attempt to navigate the UF campus for the first time, and then you get to save the day for them by showing them how to get to the Hub.
2. Traffic-less roads. For the most part at least. If you have a car at school in the fall and spring, you’ll truly appreciate this one. In the summer, there isn’t traffic at all times of the day. And you’ll actually be able to get some place within the time your map app tells you you can. I’m not sure if I’m the only one bothered by that. I know it’s such a first world problem, but it really annoys me.
3. More opportunities. Gainesville kind of looks like a ghost town in the summer; campus is pretty empty, but there’s an upside to that. Companies, organizations and programs on campus still need people in the summer, and typically, fewer people are available to fill those positions, which increases your chances of landing jobs, internships and leadership positions. So while your friends are filling their resumes in other cities, you’re filling yours in Gainesville with just as valuable positions.
