Summer Vacation

Summer Vacation

It’s the time of the year that everyone’s anxious for: the minute the bell rings on the last day of school, releasing us into the three months of summer vacation. These 90 days of freedom grant students with unlimited opportunities to fill their free time with.
What activities students participate in depends on their interests. Some students will be participating in camps or summer programs, enjoying educational or environmental activities, while others will occupy themselves with active vacations or events. Some students may also take advantage of the time of relaxation we are granted and spend a lot of time with their friends.
Whether your summer is filled with events every day or you’re enjoying the three months without the stress of school, you’re bound to have a summer you enjoy.
These 90 days are more than just a break from school, they’re a time that students have to take time for themselves, because when school comes around again in the fall, their life will revolve around how much homework they have, the stress that comes with a big test coming up, or simply about learning the information they’re given.
The end of the year is stressful enough with keystone testing for some students, finals for the tests we’re not taking keystones for, and on top of that still learning the basic information that’s continuing on from previous classes before the testing begins.
In elementary school, these last few weeks of school were filled with many enjoyable activities such as coloring, watching movies, and playing bingo. In high school, considering how many tests are at the end of the year, things have certainly changed, and it makes students miss the stress-less days of elementary school.
Although the end of the year can be overloaded with graded assignments, this year was much more of a school year than last. Being in a classroom allows students to learn the information easier rather than behind a screen, afraid to speak up or type in the chat. It offered more physical interaction, which is more of a school environment than learning behind a screen.
I enjoyed this year because I got to experience what high school was like. Freshman year I was online for three quarters of the year and the last I was hybrid. It didn’t give me much experience of high school or much time to get to know my teachers or the material.
Being in person full time this year let me have the high school experience the freshmen this year got in the fall.
Although the material was much easier to complete online, it was much easier to learn in person. Learning behind a screen can make it more difficult to retain the information we’re given and remember it for this year.
The end of the school year can bring worry about finals, Keystones, or decisions about what college to decide on, but it is also filled with anticipation and excitement for summer vacation.