Summers, ironically, are the best time for enrichment

With eyes red and drooping above dark, lined bags from all-nighters filled with unsuccessful attempts to cram all of second semester’s information, many Saratoga students gleefully imagine spending their summer slumping on the couch and binge watching television.

So go ahead, binge watch every show on Netflix you can find. Spend all day and night on that couch — until three days’ time. Then, let the productivity begin.

While internships and coursework during the summer may seem to close the work gap between summer and school, they are actually doing far more good than harm.

Before calling me a teenage “tiger mom,” it is important to realize that productivity does not necessarily signify studying for the SAT from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but rather finding a balanced schedule of productive enrichment and relaxation.

For example, a student who enjoys biology could effectively spend his or her summer interning at a biotechnology company on weekday afternoons and still relax in the evenings and on weekends.

This summer, I was fully dedicated to two rigorous computer science internships and spent 40 hours a week programming. Despite my seemingly “overwhelming” and “summer-spoiling” academic schedule, I still managed to spend time with my friends and cousins for hours every night.

Currently, many SHS students already do tend to spend their summers with a combination of enrichment and relaxation, which often sparks uneasiness among parents who want their kids to spend their summers stress-free.

But the whole idea of summer, according to many students, is to finally spend time that was once unavailable on hobbies and passions. I rarely had time to work on extracurricular computer science projects along with the heavy workload of my seven classes and handling multiple clubs. Summer, however, allowed me a perfect time to explore my interests.

Many students already have an existing interest in some sort of academic area, whether it be psychology or physics. Spending part of their summer delving deeper into their academic pursuits not only will be a memorable experience, but also allows them to specialize in those interests.

This combination of passion as well as specialization in a certain topic most often results in success in a desired field. Although it is a stretch to say that a single summer program will result in this success, it is reasonable to assume that a collection of enrichment activities every summer throughout high school will eventually result in a built-up advantage in a field such as engineering or computer science or biology.

In college, students are likely to be finding places to intern and making money during their breaks, leaving little time for summer relaxation. By starting to get in the habit of being productive during the summer, students will have a far easier time transitioning into the workplace and college life.

But even more immediate than the transition to college is the transition from summer to the upcoming school year.  Rather than lose out on important information during the summer, students should enhance their knowledge of their desired academic fields.

According to a study published by the National Education Commission on Time and Learning, a lack of brain activity during a period as long as summer can potentially slow down a student’s ability to critically read or solve math problems. By enriching themselves during the summer, students are not only enhancing their knowledge and experience, but also avoiding a possible loss in their abilities.

So, while finishing all 12 seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” might seem like the best way to use your summer, it is safe to say that taking that summer course in Economics is probably the better option — your future self — and brain — will thank you for it.