With the first day of autumn arriving last Saturday evening, Villanovans everywhere bid a bittersweet goodbye to what many consider the best time of the year: summer. As the leaves begin to change and we exchange our shorts and tank tops for jeans and hoodies, the changing of the season is upon us and the countdown to May 11 has already begun.

What appeals to college crowds about summer anymore, anyway? As young adults, students leave their friends at school for the majority of the vacation. In addition, they often become caught up in summer jobs and internships, facing the harsh reality that in the not-so-distant future they’ll be seeking full-time employment, making summer break a thing of the past.

What is it that keeps Villanova and other universities longing for the summer months? The answer, simply put, is nostalgia.

Villanovans, while grateful for the break from studies they get nowadays, relish the memories of hot days spent at the beach and the times when summer was a vacation from both school and worries.

“I love the beach and the waves and building sandcastles,” says freshman Allie Klever. “We’d have lemonade stands and just relax and have fun. Summer was so great.”

Visits to the beach are a favorite among Villanova students, especially those from the coast.

“I’ve lived on the bay all my life, and we used to go crabbing and catch dinner for crab feasts all the time,” says junior Jane Pancurak. “I was on the country club swim team since I was four, too, but I also had the sweetest Barbie adventures with my younger sister Sara.”

Toys played a big part of life for other Villanovan students, who took advantage of the good weather to play outside. “Hands down my favorite memory was Slip ‘n Slide,” says freshman Kevin Leach.

Some students, like Leach’s friend, Laura Zeno, took part in more intense outdoor activities.

“I hung out by the pool by day,” says Zeno, “but I played manhunt with the kids around town at night. Basically we split into two teams, did the dress-in-black routine, and definitely went into other people’s yards without asking them. It was like tag, but we’d hide in trees and bushes and garbage cans. If you could get on the roof, that was pretty good, too.”

Others took part in more traditional activities. “My favorite summer memory was definitely going to summer camp,” says senior Elena McDermott. “We’d go swimming and canoeing and play sports. The Fourth of July was pretty awesome, too.”

“My favorite summer memory is going to Ocean City with some of my friends a few weeks before we all left for college,” says freshman Sean Dalina. “It was nice to get away.”

As students remember the fun they had as kids during the summer months, they also are quick to point out how much their responsibilities have grown since becoming a college student. However, it’s important to always set time aside to relax.