Summer: this one word brings to mind images of sunshine, warmth and relaxation. Indeed, most people think of summer as a time off from work or school, a time to unwind and be with family and friends. All schools in this country give some time off (generally 2-3 months), allowing students to catch their breath and recover from a long and strenuous term. But should it be this way? Should students be given two months to simply sign off from studying? Some would argue that yes, a child does deserve some rest. However, I believe that although it is important to have an adequate break from the rigors of school, we students should not fall completely out of touch with our sense of learning and studying; if anything, we should strive to maintain and increase our capacity for absorbing and applying knowledge.

My conviction that summer should also be a time for work stems from personal experience. During the first six weeks of vacation this summer, I enrolled in a Biology course at the Belmont Hill School. My intent was to take this class in the summer to clear it out of my schedule; I knew that my junior year would be burdened by hard classes, a sport and extracurriculars. From my point of view, it was worth going through six weeks of arduous work in order to make my junior school schedule more manageable. When some of my friends asked how my summer was, I would mention the biology class and they would reply, wincing, “well, that sucks.” This was more or less the general reaction that I received. And yet, I felt as if the summer of my junior year was perhaps one of the most productive summers that I have ever had. Taking biology, while mentally taxing, got me into a “rhythm” of getting work done in a diligent manner. For instance, when I came home from biology class, I resisted the temptation to drop my things and slack off. Instead, I would pull out my homework, sit down, and work through it for an hour.

It was also a bonus that my mind was kept in a “studying” mindset after the course because it felt much more natural to learn and absorb knowledge. Of course, my summer wasn’t all studying; I also had plenty of time to rest and spend with friends and family. But these two and a half months are an example of a time in which studying and learning gave me a better transition into the school year.

I believe summer should be a time to sit back and take a deep breath. However, I also believe that these months should be time in which students should keep their minds active. Putting in work during the summer can not only pay off during the subsequent school year, but it can also make the summer itself more interesting and exciting.