As the school year ends, many students look forward to their time away from the academic stress they have dealt with for the last nine months. Even though all you might want to do is lie on the couch and binge-watch the newest season of your favorite show, staying productive during the summer is just as important as those precious hours spent relaxing on the beach. Putting in work during the summer is what sets you apart from other students when applying for colleges, jobs, or internships. That said, here are some ways you can stay involved during the summer.  

     1. Work at or attend a camp

Fun activities, friends, and lifelong memories! Attending or working as a counselor at a summer camp is a wonderful way to get away from your house and enjoy some fun activities in the sun this summer. Local camps like the Hingham Rec are great if you want to stay around for the summer, but if you want to go away from your home, a sleepaway camp might be the right place for you. This summer, HHS freshman Graeme Baker is “doing a theater intensive in Newton that’s a four-week sleepaway camp where you put on a play and a musical.” When asked why he thinks that people should go to camp during the summer, he responded, “It’s a good source of staying busy during the summer and putting your time into something productive as well as having lots of fun.

     2. Get a job

When working a summer job, not only do you earn money, but you also gain valuable work experience and make new friends along the way. Additionally, getting a summer job is a great way to pass extra time so you do not get bored during the summer. Many students at HHS opt to get a summer job, like sophomore Audrey Jones who said, “I think that it is important to have a summer job because it gives you a fantastic way to gain experience and responsibility as you age and get closer to graduating from high school and moving out to college. It also keeps you busy for the summer when maybe your friends are away, or it keeps you from driving yourself crazy with nothing to do.” Even though it might not seem like it now, summer can get pretty boring and again, according to Audrey, getting a summer job is “a great way to make some money and if you do it with your friends or make friends at work then it is a great way to hang out with people you wouldn’t usually.”

3. Join a research program 

Although school, research, and scientific work may be the last thing on your mind after a long and stressful school year, becoming part of a research program over the summer can expand your academic profile and is a great way to make new friends. There are many different summer research opportunities for teenagers that can be a great way to get some scientific experience if you’re considering working in the field one day. I personally spend my summers at the Cohasset Center for Coastal Research (CCSCR), which has opened many doors for me in different environmental conferences and places where my team and I can present our research findings. If you are interested in doing research during the summer, click this link to learn more about CCSCR!

4. Take a fun course that interests you

Another fun summer activity is to take a course that interests you or you have always wanted to try. The summer is the perfect time to try new things and pick up that one hobby you have been meaning to for the entire school year but just did not have the time for. The summer is an exciting time to expand your skill set and try something new, whether it be another language, an art class, or a coding class. 

5. Schedule your summer schoolwork

Finally, even though schoolwork might be the last thing you want to think about during the summer, you do not want to be the one who procrastinates and pulls an all-nighter before the first day of school trying to finish your summer reading book. Especially if you take one or multiple AP classes, the work can add up, so I suggest making a weekly goal for a chunk of your work, so it is manageable when you creep towards the end of summer. Not only will this keep you from ruining the end of your summer with endless work, but it will also make you feel productive throughout the summer and more motivated to focus on your other goals.