Keep busy through summer

Summer offers an opportunity for students to keep their mind active, stay organized and learn new knowledge they wouldn’t gain from a traditional summer. No, not with summer school, but rather a summer job.

During the school year, many teens feel overwhelmed with their course load, sports and activities. With various commitments, it’s difficult to find time to squeeze in anything else. But when summer arrives, teens finally catch a break with an open schedule and time to finally begin a part time job.

While working all vacation may not sound intriguing, a job offers a fix for many problems teens face throughout the summer, such as: eliminating imminent boredom, providing extra spending money and making new friends.

Falling victim to summer boredom is inevitable. It’s nearly impossible to avoid to the dullness of summer after the first few weeks. But a job gives students a reason to escape the house and do something to earn money, instead of slugging around on Netflix all day.

Let’s face it, everybody could use a little extra cash. Summer jobs offer not only the chance to earn some extra money for gas, new clothes and concerts; but to save up money for college. Tuition prices are on the rise, as well as the heaps of debt that come with a college education.

For upperclassmen, summer could also be the last chance to gain work experience before heading out into the dreaded “real world.” It’s not like summer jobs last forever and even a part time job gives teens a taste of what it’s like out with the hot shots of the business world. Instead of leaving college and being thrown into the workforce, students can transition more comfortably and gradually.

Before the school year starts and the crazy schedules begin again, take the time from summer vacation to not only to earn some money, but also experience positive opportunities in the real world.

It may not be the most fun way to spend a summer, but it can definitely be the most valuable.

Take a break from chaos

The last thing teens want to think about during summer is more work, especially a low-paying job.

Two and a half months of the year are allotted for summer vacation, yet students are constantly bombarded with work and stress with no time to breathe, due to AP assignments taking over their minds. When the warm weather arrives, teens should be released from their rigorous school year commitments after working diligently for nine months.

Although obtaining a summer job would be a chance to earn extra cash and rid teens of boredom, that’s not what summer is all about. Boredom is something students live off of in the summer, it is something to relieve school year stress.

Jobs take too much time away from a social life, which is lost throughout the year. Summer should focus on hanging out with friends, spending time with family and simply having fun; not standing in front of a fast food register or fryer, working for hours on end and leaving with a minimum wage paycheck every two weeks.

After high school and college, the real world hits and life becomes real, non-stop work. While young, teens should live without the burden of working, which will consume their lives for the next 50 years.

Even though some teens spend their summer vacation unproductively and lazy, summer isn’t a complete blow off. Without a job, there are still many positive things a student can accomplish.

Volunteering at a summer camp, going on vacation, travel, studying abroad, helping the environment by providing community service, and reading for fun are other healthy alternatives. These activities require effort, but provide readiness and positivity to a teen’s life. Learning lessons is bigger than professional real world experience; every day life contributes uncountable messages.

Summer serves as a time of relaxation by the pool, pure happiness from the sun and freedom from the prison known as high school. A summer job takes away from a true teenage experience of “living while you’re young.”