With summer in full swing, students shared their opinions on how they can best use the break. Some emphasize the importance of educational pursuits, recognizing the value of building resumés and gaining practical experience during the summer. However, some people believe that recreation is more important and beneficial for mental health. This difference of opinion highlights the ongoing debate on whether to prioritize educational or recreational activities, with each student having unique priorities and aspirations for their summer break.
The Classic asked one Harrisite from each grade to express their thoughts on this topic. Here are the responses:
Rising Freshman Alexander Zhang:
I believe working on my resumé benefits my future. However, my personal preference is to focus on myself and enjoy the summer, like going on vacations, rather than thinking much about school. I suppose students who work on their resumé, like completing an internship during the summer, have a higher chance of succeeding since it’s super beneficial; they tend to have their priorities set and have a good work ethic.
Rising Sophomore Areesh Rehman:
I think during the summer I’d rather be at home more because I already spent a good amount of time in school anyway. In my opinion, summer is the time to relax and do hobbies and things you like to do. Summer is the best time to be with family after a long year of work. During my junior year, however, I think I’ll be more interested in doing school-related things, as that can set up my future in college.
Rising Junior Shamonti Shamim:
I do think educational activities are something to consider during the summer since it’s challenging to find time, especially when the school year begins. You’re only going to have a more advanced curriculum, so by the time summer is over, it’s difficult to adjust to the new way you’re taught the different subjects and variety of classes, so it’s just more convenient to work on your other educational pursuits during the summer. If you spend your summer working on yourself as a person and just your resumé in general, you have more time to be detailed; you also have more time to revise and edit your applications, which gives you a better chance of getting into your top choices.
Rising Senior Franxalier Causapin:
I think we should spend most of our summer on educational activities. Recreational activities may be relaxing, give us a break from academics, and allowing us to participate in fun activities, but educational activities can provide us with opportunities for learning and growth that may only be available during the summer. I think investing time in educational pursuits allows us to expand our knowledge, explore subjects we are interested in, and improve our skills, as the summer usually offers a more diverse range of options, making it a great time to pursue further education. We can make the most of our time, promoting individual development and enhancing our potential.
