When deciding what to do for the summer, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Friends are splitting off, and it seems like they all have a place to go. They’re counselors at summer camps, employees at Rita’s, interns at different companies and universities.
Times have changed since our parents went to high school. Now, the pressure and expectations to attend that summer camp or get this internship and that job can feel overwhelming as more and more students think about what’s best for their next stage in life — college. But it’s for these reasons that we should prioritize this summer as what it is — vacation. Or more accurately, a time to explore and to find ourselves outside of the typical school curriculum.
As more and more people tell us to use this time as preparation for college, we should remember not to lose our appreciation for the present. High school is a time to explore, to grow, to make mistakes and then to pick yourself back up again. It’s a time where you can both succeed and fail, discover new interests and learn what kind of person you want to be. In the rush to look impressive to colleges, it’s easy to forget that. While attending extra classes or spending those hours in the lab during the summer is a valuable experience, so is enjoying yourself and appreciating the people around you. Spending time with your family and friends in high school is an opportunity that we might not get during the busy and distant semesters in college. And experimenting and trying out new hobbies not only gives us the chance to discover new passions and interests, but builds character with its possibility of failure and frequent trial-and-error elements.
This summer, don’t feel pressured. Do what you want to do. For many, that will involve working at a job or going to summer camps. But if for you, that means going to the beach with a good book and your closest friends and a pile of summer homework postponed to… later, then go for it.
