MAIN POINT: Vacation ventures

Apr 30 2009 - 12:37pm | Star Editorial Board

Students remember fond childhood memories of careless summers: Backyard baseball games, pool parties and spending entire afternoons doing nothing.

Now, after two hard semesters of studying, sacrifice and sleep deprivations, it might be tempting for students to become lazy. Some might say to themselves, 1 p.m. is a perfectly reasonable time to wake up, or pizza for every meal is a fine nutritional diet.
But those attending an institution of higher learning are expected to have the abilities to be independent, which does not exclude the months between May and August.

Summer is a perfect time to work on self-improvement, whether it be furthering one’s career goals or bettering the mind and body.
University students are no longer the care-free adolescents from distant summer memories. Relaxation and downtime are important, but now is the time to strive for more.

Students should be investigating internship opportunities. No career path can be learned only through study, free of experience. Internships offer real-world opportunities that look great on a job application. There is plenty to be said for academic study, but nothing is better than doing.

Internships are not the only way to better oneself. People often cite projects they hope to complete, but all too often self-given assignments never get far beyond rough sketches or ideas. This summer, defy convention and actually follow through on planned projects. If projects lie dormant for too long the person who did not commit will only be left with regret. No one is interested in hearing about the novel someone almost wrote, or the new deck that was almost built. Actually finishing tasks people assign themselves gives a sense of pride and accomplishment. One might find the best part of completing a self-assigned task is knowing a boss giving orders is not necessary to get actual work done.

Finally, the summer provides a perfect opportunity to give something back to the community. Even those who do not have funds to spare can donate time. There is not enough that can be said for volunteering time. There are more than enough worthy non-profit organizations in the area. The Hays County Food Bank gets food to those who most need it, the animal shelter looks out for creatures who cannot do so for themselves, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters provides role models to children and youth who might not have them. All these organizations, and plenty more, could always use an extra set of hands.

Permalink