With graduation fast approaching, the only thing to think about is sweet summertime.

While most students are getting real-life jobs, internships or vacationing, I will be working my tail off in Brookings. Although B-Town seems like a pretty cool place during the nine months most students spend here, I have heard horror stories about the ghost town we call Brookings in the summer. For most students, here is a list of the five things I think every college student should do this summer.

1.     Head to the beach

Wild Water West in Sioux Falls might be your cup of tea, but if not, there are plenty of lakes, ponds and creeks flowing through South Dakota.

While you’re at it you should also bait a hook. Even if the fishing is slow, you are spending the day sitting on a boat or a lawn chair soaking up the sun. What’s to lose? And if you’re heading home to Minnesota or Iowa, there is always Okoboji and 10,000 lakes. The best thing about warm weather is getting to cool off.

2.     Road Trip

The classic summer vacation always includes a road trip. In one week you could see Custer National Park, The Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, The Black Hills and still stop in for some ice water at Wall Drug.

The best part: there are like a thousand more sights to mention in South Dakota. And if you don’t want to stay in the state, our neighbors have some pretty cool things to see as well.

3.     Camp

This might be personal preference, but there is nothing better than a clear night under the stars. When the stress of school wears off there is no better feeling than getting away from all the lights and gazing out at the stars.

4.     Check out the history

When I came to school in South Dakota I wanted to embrace the Wild West (I later realized that I should have gone further west). I wanted to live like Laura Ingalls Wilder, meet cowboys and Indians and watch buffaloes. Turns out you can do all those things.

In DeSmet, S.D. there is a cute little place called the Ingalls Homestead. Every September, Custer State Park holds a Buffalo Roundup, open to those who can ride, and there are plenty of art and heritage centers showcasing traditional Native American heritages.

You really can live the Wild West Life in South Dakota.

5.     Monuments

Along with the history better come the monuments. Things like the Corn Palace, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse (or what I like to call Crazy Head); these are all things that are historically monumental. When I tell people I go to school in South Dakota, these are things that come up in conversation.

This might very well be personal preference, and my personal list, but I feel like everyone could indulge. There is no reason to have a boring summer when there is a list like this. 

Brenna is an agricultural communications and advertising major and can be reached at [email protected]