It’s that time of year again! School is coming to a close, and summer is just around the corner. This means that there are just over two months of break. With all this time, what do we do?
Some students see this two-month-gap as a chance to get ahead or catch up on school work or athletics. They work hard all summer, and when school comes around in September, maybe they get on varsity football, or they excel in AP calculus. But is that really the best way to spend your summer? Sure you get ahead for the school year, but summer is meant to give students a break: to let us catch up on sleep, not academics.
Teenage mental health is a growing concern in our society, but how can we expect to become mentally healthier if we are constantly being pushed to be the best at whatever it is we do, whether it be music or sports? Sometimes we get pushed to the point where we find the need to work over our breaks. But the purpose of a school break is just that — a break. We spend over seven hours, five days a week for ten months at this big brick building. That’s almost the same amount of dedication as a full-time job, but we don’t get paid.
As students, we need a recess from the constant essays and studying. When it comes to the summer, I believe in doing the bare minimum in relation to school work. We have all of September to June to work our hardest in school. I’m all about hard work, but you need to work hard at the right times. And summer is not the time.
Summer is the time for kicking back and relaxing. It is the time for laying in the sun until you tan five shades darker. Summer is the time for sipping lemonade in the pool, floating by, in a gigantic inflatable swan. It is the time for eating ice cream until you get a brain freeze so bad, you’re minutes away from a sugar-induced coma. Summer is the time for hanging out with friends, meeting new people, and trying new things.
When the warm temperatures arrive, it is also important that we spent enough time with our families. Students have plenty of time to ourselves. Perhaps it is also time to appreciate those we love, like our parents, siblings, and pets.
No doubt, the best part of summer is the weather, so naturally, the most important thing for you to do this summer is to get outside and enjoy the nature. From the crashing waves of the beaches to the looming trees in the forests, there are endless possibilities. You simply need to go out and find them.
Lia Vaynshteyn
staff writer
Graphic: Jessie Yi