Finally the end of the school year has come. After what felt like the longest semester ever, it is time to relax and enjoy the sun over summer vacation.

One would think that living in LA means never wanting to be anywhere else since there are so many places to check out, but it seems that most CSUN students would much rather get out of the valley.

‘Go anywhere but Northridge,’ said Kevin Barkley, an 18-year-old kinesiology major.

Barkley said that the best way to enjoy your vacation is to go somewhere nice and relaxing, like Hawaii, where he is going shortly after summer school.

‘I usually travel there every other summer,’ said Barkley. ‘When I’m there I go surfing, go to the beach and hang out with friends, the usual.’

CSUN students have labeled the beach a hot spot.

‘I like to go to the beaches around here like Zuma and Santa Monica,’ said Liz Schultz, a 21-year-old history major.

Zuma is located in the Malibu area and Schultz said what she likes most about that location is the family atmosphere.

‘I like Zuma because they have lifeguards, there are kids always running around and you have to pay for parking so it’s never too crowded,’ Schultz said.

Other southern California beaches that are pretty popular can be found in San Diego, said Teddy Taylor, an 18-year-old kinesiology major.

‘I’m from San Diego and I usually go to Coronado Beach,’ said Taylor. ‘I would recommend that one big time.’

Taylor said one of the things he likes best about the beaches is the surf.

‘Usually I just surf while I’m out at the beach,’ said Taylor. ‘One of the things I don’t like is the tourists. They don’t really know how to drive and they don’t know the rules of surfing.’

So even though he recommended Coronado Beach, he also recommended that you respect the locals because out on the ocean they don’t play around.

‘I’ve never been in a fight before but a lot of my friends have,’ said Taylor. ‘It’s pretty exciting to watch.’

If surfing isn’t your thing, Schultz said Seattle is a pretty good place to go.

‘Seattle is pretty nice because it’s not 100 degrees like it is here,’ said Schultz. ‘Usually it’s around 80 degrees and they have lots of good music and tons of good eating.’

Most students like doing things where they can get away from their family for a bit, but Alexis Philips, a 20-year-old English major, said she would rather be with them.

‘We go camping every year at Lake Nacimiento,’ said Philips.

She is also planning on going to Vegas when she turns 21.

‘I’m going to Vegas in June for my 21st with some of my friends and family,’ said Philips.

Orit Karni, a 20-year-old nutrition major, said the most important part of her break is trying something different.

‘I think the most important thing about break is going out there and trying something new,’ said Karni, who added that one of the best vacations she had wasn’t really a summer break, but a semester abroad.

‘I spent nine months in Israel studying,’ said Karni. ‘The thing I enjoyed most was the freedom.’

Besides the freedom, Karni said she loved the feeling of not knowing what was going to happen next.

‘I carried a toothbrush and an extra pair of underwear all the time because you never know where you’re going to end up,’ Karni said.

If she had to describe a perfect break though, there would be more rest and relaxation than anything else.

‘I’d like to go out and sleep on a random beach with some friends, with a hookah and some beer on the side,’ said Karni.

Barkley believes taking a break from his normal work schedule would make the perfect summer.

‘My ideal vacation would be not having to worry about anything,’ said Barkley.

With finals ending and stress slowly floating away, the only thing that anyone should be worried about is where they’re going to go to enjoy the sun and the water.

It could be the beach, the lake or the pool, but summer is the time to jump in the water and cool down after a heated semester.