Summer's Here: Go Learn Something

By Miles Dumville

Summer’s almost here. I can’t wait. So, what are you up to this summer?
“Well, I’m working. Chilling out at home with friends. I’ll probably take a trip with the fam’ and maybe even rent a beach place with some people.
If I could count the number of times I’ve had that conversation in the past two weeks, I’d be a math major.
If someone’s really adventurous, they might even say that they plan on taking a summer class or two. Maybe even TWO jobs. Wow. Impressive.
Can’t summer offer so much more though?
I feel like the main reason people get bored by halfway through the summer is because these staples of what a typical college summer should be become the only items on the itinerary.
If you’re working, challenge yourself and reach for a job that really interests you. Don’t just settle for Betsy’s Burger Booth, Uncle Dick’s House of Dumplings, or worst of all, the swimming pool.
Seriously, the swimming pool should be a fun place to go on the hottest days of the summer when you need to cool off and consider your life.
It should not, however, be a place where you fill the position of lifeguard, a job only suitable for high school kids on their first job and creepy, middle-aged men who note on their job applications that they “really enjoy children.”
If you enjoy music, try a music store or a venue.
If you enjoy sports, try a gym, sporting goods store or sports park.
If you do happen to have a passion for swimming, then, by all means, give swimming lessons at a pool. Don’t lifeguard.
Chilling at home with friends. Assuming that your home is cool and that you have friends. Wouldn’t it be fun to go with them somewhere other than the beach, an amusement park, or the next kegger?
Take a roadtrip. Hop a train. Get out.
You’d be suprised how much you can learn just by traveling to a new city with few expectations and a few friends to share the experience with.
In layperson’s terms, go out of the way to have new experiences during the summer. It’s the best time of year to do so.
While the school year should also be a time for new experiences, these coveted summer experiences should be different.
The school year offers little free time to plan long trips, much less get through that new Stephen King novel.
Take advantage of the free time and the opportunity to leave town for weeks at a time without becoming a sixth-year senior.
Most importantly, be able to share something new with your friends at school upon returning in late August. Afterall, anyone can read Stephen King and flip burgers.