I can’t believe it’s already been another year. Before we know it, it’s September and time to go back to uni... But never mind you that, summer is here again and seizing the day is the motto of the season. Summer is the time to stroll around barefooted, wear bright colours and show some sun-protected skin and hit the beach or a nice park. It is also the time when most people get a little time off leaving their usual routines behind for a short while. There is no school and most students are working. After another year of more or less studious life, it’s nice to put all your worries aside and take it easy, even if for an afternoon every now and then after work. I myself am going to work my ass of (literally) at Posti, chillax in my new hammock with a nice book (and an ice cold drink at hand) and basically just spend time outside. As per usual, I’m also going to try to get away from the city as often as I possibly can to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Finnish archipelago. I have a feeling this summer is going to be a good one, but come August, I will be more than ready to leave it behind and get serious... But before you go off on your summery adventures, here’s an excellent collection of summery tips brought to you by the BTSB staff. I suggest taking your pick of our tips and having a relaxing summer!

"My best tip for the summer time is not to make any promises to yourself. I find myself deciding every spring to paint something, to exercise more because "the weather is so nice and I need the fresh air", to read more not-school-related books because "I have the time to do that" and to eat more "wonderful summery" vegetables and berries. At the end of summer I get frustrated and anxious because I didn't get "anything" done: I merely worked and hanged out drinking unhealthy alcoholic beverages and ate tons of strawberries with vanilla sauce (ok, sometimes I eat the vanilla sauce without strawberries, sue me). So, here's my summer tip: Don't stress about it, eat the freaking ice-cream and for the love of god, swim naked and forget about how tanned you are/are not"

"You guys, I whine about summers in the city. "Helsinki's totally without good bookstores, cafes, restaurants, gigs, artz and younameits - it's the city of boahrring!" This year, I'm going to get a grip and see what it's really like. So my tip to everyone is to go the extra mile. Check out the new show, or a piece of comedy, eat in a place you haven't tried or Google up some tips (like ours!) about stuff to do."

"Ahh summer... That time of the year when there's no school and you can just go exploring your local parks and forests with a stuffed tiger in tow. Or well, that's not really the case anymore since we're supposed to be adults or something. As a result, this summer, I'll be spending a lot of my time at work and I'll even be wasting away a few Tuesday evenings in class... But to avoid getting the summer blues, I'll still make sure to get plenty of sunshine and drink plenty of fluids (especially of the sangria variety). Oh and I'd expect several picnics and BBQs and other such friendly and joyous gatherings as well. So, although I probably won't be exploring a lot of forests with a stuffed tiger, I'll be sure to spend plenty of time with other awesome people in a more adult way (get your mind out of the gutter). Actually, about that stuffed tiger thing, I might just be confusing someone else's childhood with my own."

"My favorite way to spend a blazing hot summer day is to sit in a park with a new book and an open mind. I like to choose modern literature for my summer reading, a habit that begun years ago. If the literature makes me too philosophical or otherwise painfully thoughtful, I put down the book and take in the rays of the sun, that lovely burning star that I've missed for the long days of winter and soak up the heat and store it in my bones. If this sounds like your kind of summer day, do remember to bring water and your preferred protection against sunburn!"