Autumn marks the beginning of the school year, with the need to balance new classes and deadlines, all while rushing to get back to your usual routine. Winter is the season of pressure, with finals and the end of the first semester quickly approaching. Spring is consumed by AP exams, with everyone rushing to finish the year on a good note. But summer — a time for freedom, frolicking and having fun, is unlike any other season out there. The uniqueness of summer lies in its spontaneity; days during the season seem endless, and you never run out of things to do.
Each summer morning, I remember waking up at 8 a.m., putting on the first clothes I found in my closet and racing down the street towards my best friend’s house, feeling eager and excited to knock on her door and play. We had nothing to do; our only goal was to have fun, maybe get a few bruises along the day. Whether it be annoying our older sisters, climbing a random tree we found or eating ice cream while sitting on the curbside, we were always up to something new.
Nowadays, the time when you could play with your friends all day and eat popsicles is starting to disappear as most other kids are busy creating the perfect summer schedule for college. As college admissions continue to become competitive, most kids feel like they must do as much as they can in order to gain a better future.
With the rise of summer internships, bridging courses via BYU, or doing AP prep courses, summer is starting to feel like any other season, filled with stress and the pressure of needing to maximize your time. Now, the season is like an extension of the regular school year, with most people’s calendars packed with various volunteering events, college prep courses and competitive internships rather than the carefree summer schedule we once used to have. Through our journey to have a better future, we are sacrificing our summer that was once meant for living in the moment, for a lifetime of working aimlessly.
However, academics are not the only thing distracting us from the summer that we used to have. Social media has also made summer into something less memorable, where everyone has to post their pictures from their recent trip to Hawaii or Mexico. With around 6 in every 10 kids using Instagram or TikTok, most teens want to flaunt each and every trip, group hangout and sunset picture. Rather than trips being how they made you feel, they are now about how it might look to someone else. For example, a day at the beach with your friends is no longer about the people around you, but it is about capturing the perfect pictures to post on social media.
Others may argue that the rise of social media, summer internships and academic programs are essential because that is how students build stronger connections, sharpen their skills and get a head start in our increasingly competitive world. While this is true, it should not be the only thing students do or talk about during their summers. Our response to the question, “What did you do over the summer?” should not be a list of all the activities done to boost one’s Linkedin page, but rather the enjoyable activities that made summer break memorable.
With college admissions becoming more and more selective and career paths demanding experience before even beginning, students are told that each summer before college must be productive. Social media only amplifies this pressure as we see other classmates getting new achievements daily. Every glance at our Instagram serves as a reminder that we should be doing more and accomplishing more. This is where the line between ambition and exhaustion blurs, causing us to start using our summer as an extra school year, which ultimately makes us forget about what summer used to be about: spontaneity and simplicity.
Before high school ends, we need to focus on being present in the moment and make these last few summers before college more memorable by allowing ourselves to step away from the overwhelming pressure of constantly moving ahead. Whether it is planning a random shopping day, exploring a new hobby that you might not have time for during the school year or wandering through a park, these small, unplanned moments are what make summer unforgettable. By stepping away from the endless drive to move forward, we can find a space to breathe and make room for unexpected ventures like drawing on the sidewalk with chalk or buying ice cream from a random ice cream truck.
The best summers are always the ones that are spent with family and friends, free from the pressure of summer programs or posting an Instagram-worthy picture on social media. We must cherish the summers that we have left before college, filling them with long-lasting memories and experiences that cannot be measured by achievements. The true meaning of summer lies in spontaneous moments like having water gun fights, eating popsicles and going on bike rides. These moments remind us of what truly matters: the people by our side, the quiet joys we often overlook and the moments that make us feel content.
