Summer Days........Not so Lazy or Crazy

 By:  Clare Harris, student at FCHS

The typical summer for a high school student is not endless days of free time and relaxation as many would think. Students fill their summers with work, sports, schoolwork, family, or all four. Teenagers are known to stay up all night and sleep all day but summer isn’t just a time for lounging around. It’s time for work, volunteering, summer assignments, sports, and family.

Wednesday, June 25th, is the first official day of summer vacation. With this, comes the bombardment of outdoor activities, swim team commitments, camps galore, and educational opportunities. The choices range from Boy and Girl Scout camps to band camps. If those aren’t enough, there is the Fairfax County Public School's Institute for the Arts, Boys and Girls State, and various Governors’ schools taking place across Virginia throughout the summer and internships.

Work is a priority to teenagers because with it, come the paychecks. Pools, malls, and shopping centers are all places where students can work. As one of the bigger employers of teenagers, pools have numerous options. A majority of a teenager’s summer is spent at the pool or mall so why not work there too. 

 In addition to work and summer fun, there's still "schoolwork” to be done. SATs and ACTs find a way to fill in the gaps between work and free time. August is when students remember all tasks that may have been forgotten, like last minute summer assignments for Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Some students even like to get a jump on the next school year by taking online courses. Others like to volunteer at hospitals, go on mission trips with their churches, or help out around the community.

 The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer that were ours in middle school is not the reality for today's teenagers. Ten years ago, summer meant something different from what it means now and ten years from now it'll be different still.  For this generation, it's about needing to work, wanting to help others, and gaining experience to assist us in the future.

When school ends, the next portion of the year begins. Summer is where we have the chance to work, discover and explore new places and possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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