The Falcon   |   Volume 81, Issue 26

Published 6/02/10   |   Log In

Make summer vacation: live productively

Using time for activities you will not regret later

By BEKAH GRAHAM, Opinions Writer

Published: June 2, 2010

The grass is green, the flowers are blooming, the coursework is heavy -- and could that be the sun peeking out from behind the cloudbank? Seattleites emerge en masse from their dark hiding places. All the signs point to one thing: summer is returning to the Pacific Northwest.

And really, what is summer without a little stimulation? Letting your mind morph into gelatinous goo is neither wise nor, in the long run, all that much fun. Summer is fleeting and it could be gone before you realize how much you could have done.

I am not saying you should fill summer with academic work, but fill your summer with something, and you will not regret it.

We have a week left of grueling work. Soon, there will be no grindstone against which to put your nose, and a wide world of opportunities will emerge with the sun, happily challenging everyone to participate. All that remains is to choose an opportunity and get going before it disappears with the warmth of the summer sun.

With the onset of summer, the first thing most students think of is relaxation, pure and simple. At the end of an exhausting school year, nothing looks more attractive than clearing your mind and melting into a beach chair.

What should you fill it with? Start asking around for some great ideas.

"I'm going to go camping/hiking with my uncle. ... I'm really excited," said sophomore Jazzy Oshitoye of her summer plans. "I'm so scared because he called and said, 'You should start exercising now.'"

Summer is a great time to become active; as rare sunshine bathes our state, take advantage of it. Challenge yourself to try a new outdoor activity: Bike around the city, take up rock climbing or take a summer scuba class and dare the waters of the Puget Sound. There is no better time for weather or free time, so do whatever you have put off before.

Then, of course, there is always the idea that you should get a job over the summer. If you can swing it, working through your summer could add a sizable wad to your bank account and make life easier during the school year.

Of course, that 'if' is often the problem.

"If I could get a job that would be great, but I know its slim pickins," Oshitoye said.

If you cannot find a paid job (or even if you can), internships can be an enormously rewarding way to spend your summer. A number of internships in the Seattle area are part time and provide a huge resume boost, whether or not they are directly related to your major. Plus, if you find one in your field of interest, you could end the summer with a newfound knowledge of the industry, along with some helpful connections.

No matter what else you do this summer, be sure to spend some time doing the things that you never have time to do during the school. Take a road trip to see the places where your favorite TV shows were filmed, take the time to finish War and Peace (my personal summer goal), or take a dance class. If it is a longtime goal that requires a lot of free time to do it, now is that time.

Visit every Starbucks in the Seattle area. Start a blog. Learn to surf. Volunteer at an animal shelter. The possibilities are endless, but all involve doing something enjoyable and purposeful with your free time.

Do not let autumn surprise you and make you wonder where the time has gone. Summer does and should involve lots of relaxation, but sometimes getting a thing or two done can be more fun than lying around on the beach.

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