As I was growing up, summer was described as a time to relax and enjoy time away from school. This would often come in the form of going on a carefree vacation or doing absolutely nothing at home. However, as one grows older and enters high school, time is scarce as students are often surrounded by demands from sports, clubs and school work during the school year. This leaves very little time for students to participate in extracurriculars and activities they might be interested in but unable to partake in because of the exhausting high school schedule.

As summer rolls around though, not only is more time available, but more opportunities are also available for students. Jobs, internships and volunteering options all happen during the summer, but students must take the initiative to go and participate or apply for them. Taking part in these activities will not only teach important values and skills that can be used in the future, but it also provides more items to include in a college resume. It may not seem like a lot, but simply saying you held a summertime job allows colleges to see that you have had work experience and gained skills only a job can teach you. Not only that, but also having something to put on a resume is much better than nothing at all.

Summer also provides students with the time to prepare for standardized tests like the SAT and ACT that they might not get during school. It also gives them an opportunity to take classes like Macroeconomics and Government. Attending these classes gives students more space in their schedule and allows them to take classes they may enjoy more during the actual school year.

In no way am I saying the entire summer should be focused upon improving resumes and studying for tests or summer classes. Obviously, there must be a balance between how much time is spent relaxing and how much time is spent on improving yourself, during the summer, but just simply spending all your time in the summer on relaxation will come back to haunt you in the future.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Pranav Jothirajah at [email protected].