At what point did summer break go from ice cream trucks, waterparks, and beach trips to test prep, internships, and study sessions? Was it when high school began? Summer before sophomore year? Perhaps for you, it hasn’t even changed yet, in which case I’m jealous. I can’t exactly pinpoint when my summer (and, let’s face it, my life) became consumed by the idea of college applications. All I know is that at some point, I stopped thinking about which concerts I would attend this summer. Rather, I began thinking about which courses I needed to study in advance to ensure I would breeze through the class, giving me more time to boost my college application in other ways. At first, this strategy seemed foolproof; this tactic gave me an advantage and would allow me to be (somewhat) more at ease the following school year. It was when summer began feeling like a continuation of the school year that I realized I had created a monster.

Soon enough, the weather became warmer, sleeves became shorter, and stress became greater. May rolled around, and my summer plans were solid. Sure, I had spent some of my previous summer studying, but this one was in a league of its own. The excitement I had built up fizzled away, and I was left with a feeling of disappointment. The pressure I had been putting on myself for so long didn’t seem to be working for me; in fact, it seemed to have been actively working against me. I wasn’t thriving under the pressure as I had previously thought. It turns out I’m not alone.

Upon conducting an anonymous survey with 50+ Parker Upper School students, I found that 83.7% of students participate in academic activities during their summer break. Of this group, only 34.1% do this solely for the sake of their college applications. I was expecting a much larger percentage of participants to say their activities were driven by college applications and nothing else, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that 45.5% of students said that only some of their summer activities are for their resume, while others are for their personal enjoyment. After doing quite a bit of reflection on my own personal reasons for doing what I do, I finally recognized that a balance like this is vital to avoid burnout. Intellectually stimulating activities can and should be done for you and you alone. Not just for a college admissions board. Not just for a paper summarizing your high school career. If you’re enjoying what you’re learning, the entire process is less stressful.

Regardless of whether or not they actually spend their summer working on academics, 89.8% of all participants claimed that they felt pressured to engage in academic activities over their summer break. Whether that pressure is internal or external varies person to person. 

Most importantly, upon being asked whether or not these students actually enjoyed the academic work they spent their summer on, only 13.6% said no, with the most popular choice being somewhat. It seems that although many students may feel an obligation to fill their summer with education, at least they’re enjoying it.

Throughout this process, I learned that the average Parker student seems to have found a healthy balance between academics for the sake of college applications and academics for the sake of self-enrichment. I truly believed that I had to choose between a fun summer and an educational summer! Little did I know that the two could coexist, and excitement is what turns an academic endeavor into a passion. After all, if completing Khan Academy’s entire AP statistics course this summer will fulfill you, I wholeheartedly think you should go for it. If not, then don’t.

One thing I know for sure is that I will absolutely be taking a lesson from the participants of my survey. If I’m learning and enjoying it, my summer will not be wasted.