The Harbinger

Summer Planning

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 By Iqra Ahmed

With summer fast approaching, it’s time to start preparing. While sitting on the couch all day and watching TV for two months sounds like the perfect way to relax after a year of hell, it’s probably not the best choice. Your high school summers hold not only valuable memories but great opportunities to get ahead and be efficient, while still having fun. 1. Look at summer programs . Places like museums, many colleges and universities and places like hospitals often offer opportunities for students to take part in as part of a summer program. Take a look at some universities such as FIU or Barry to see if they are still accepting applications for summer programs ranging from music to medicine. 2. Volunteer . Summer is a great way to catch up on all your community service hours. Volunteer at hospitals, museums, His House, libraries, the pound, parks—almost anywhere. Just contact some place you would like to volunteer and ask them if they are taking volunteers. 3. Dual enrollment . If you aren’t quite satisfied with your GPA or would like to take some classes for recovery, substitution, etc., sign up for dual enrollment classes at Miami-Dade. Maybe even take a class with your friend; after class, you can always hang out and spend the day summer-style relaxing. 4. Get a job . If you’re just looking to get some extra cash to buy those cute shoes or to save up for college, a summer job is always useful. You always have money on you and it helps you to spend your time productively. If you can’t find a paying job, also look at internships. Many companies like to have teens on their internship staff and it does no harm to you—if it is something that you can see yourself doing in 10-15 years, there’s nothing to lose and you gain valuable experience that looks amazing on college resumes. 5. Do what you like to . All year long, school pretty much takes up most of our time. Take advantage of the summer to play all the sports you like, go swimming, tanning, snorkeling, paint, draw, make some music, hang out with your friends, have fun with your family, create some memories. Remember to relax and have fun this summer but stay productive, whether it be a job, classes, an internship, volunteering or a program.