eNotes’ editorial intern shares his tips of how to make the most of your high school summer. Or any summer, for that matter!
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. My grandma bought me the first book when I was 11, and from then on I read every book within the same week it was released. My extreme anticipation and excitement for the release of the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, back in 2007 should be understandable then. However, I was conflicted. The release date for the 7th book was set for the end of July, which is far too close to the end of summer from a student’s perspective. You see my dilemma. As a typical high school student, I wanted the long carefree days of summer to last forever, however, I now had this exciting event to look forward to at the end of summer. For the first time in my life, I was looking forward to summer ending. This turned out to be the slowest summer ever. My summer that normally felt like it was only 16 days long now felt like the setting of a slow-motion dream I couldn’t escape. Ultimately, I became comfortable with the pace of that summer in 2007 and learned to enjoy my time and stay in the moment up until that long awaited release of the Deathly Hallows.
That summer was a stark contrast to a typical high school summer, which moves way too quickly and is filled with sobs of students during the final weeks. The days meld together and may begin to pass you by. Let’s take a look at some tips to ensure that you’re making the most of your summer and emerge into the next school year after a productive and fun vacation.
1. Break it down. You have two and a half months ahead of you with no academic obligations. Plan your summer by answering these basic questions which will provide an outline for your time ahead: 1. What will I do with my time?, 2. What are my obligations?, 3. What will be fun?, 4. What will be beneficial?
2. Travel. One of my biggest regrets of high school is that I considered leaving my street to be “traveling”. Travel and learn to be comfortable making your own decisions, being your own boss, and not having your mother force you to clean your room. You will gain experience, confidence, and surely return a changed person. More importantly, you will be better equipped to handle college. And anyways, girls like well-traveled men (and vice versa). If a trip outside of the US isn’t plausible, spend a couple days in a neighboring city.
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