How to Spend a Meaningful Summer as Coronavirus Lingers
Slowly opening his eyes, Jack sluggishly rolls out of bed at 11:30 AM in the morning. As he is sitting on the edge of his bed, Jack grabs his phone and starts scrolling down, TikTok not realizing hours have passed. Just another day in the summer…
Believe it or not, there are only two weeks left in school. As EC students are heading into summer, new concerns arise among parents. Even with the ease of restriction in all states across the nation, many usual summer camps, programs, and vacations were cancelled as coronavirus continues to linger.
“What are they going to do when school is over?” says Mr. Robinson, father to ECHS freshmen Aaron Robinson. As the country is expected to reopen during the summer, parents are ready to get back to their regular work routine, but what about kids? With social distancing still in place, many kids are likely to stay at home a lot more as they head into summer.
“The worst thing to see is kids burn up their time unproductively,” says Mr. Robinson, “I wish to see kids reading good books, going out exercising, working on their math skills, gardening, and pursuing their interests and curiosity with wide imagination.”
Summer is an important time for students to get out of their regular routine to freely explore their different passions and interests. While coronavirus may have changed the way we do things, it is still possible doing it at home. Here I included some great resources to make this summer productive and meaningful.
College-level Courses
If you are disappointed at all the cancellations of college summer programs, here are some free alternatives.
Edx and Coursera offer rigorous, college-level MOOT courses from prestigious institutions all around the world, including Harvard, MIT, and Yale. In most cases, you can access the course for free but there is an option to purchase a certificate upon completion
Learn a New Skill!
With ten dollars or more, you can master a new skill during the summer. From arts, design, photography, filming, ethical hacking, coding, to web design, Skillshare and Udemy offer a wide range of practical skills you can learn from with engaging videos.
"For juniors and seniors particularly, I would encourage you to get a job or take an online class in a field that interests you. This is a way to test if your latest thought of becoming an engineer or photographer will hold true in the long run" adds Mr. Fuller.
Learn a New Language!
Whether you want to learn a new language or want to retain your memory of the language courses you took in school, Duolingo and Babbel can help. With five to ten minutes of fun learning each day, you can get familiar with a new language, or perhaps learn an exotic language to impress your friends. Notably, Duolingo offers unique language courses on Hawaiian, Navajo, and even High Valyrian in Game of Thrones.
Make Your Life Easier Later....
Yes, you cannot avoid standardized testing like SAT and ACT. They open up opportunities to more college acceptances and scholarships. And yes, it’s stressful to study them, especially at the last minute.
Why not start getting yourself familiar with these tests early? With different apps that offer one question daily practice, you can practice with ease. Remember, standardized tests are not only about knowing the content on the test but also knowing how to take the test.
In Conclusion...
"That being said, don't spend all your time on a screen!" says Mr Fuller, "We've had enough of that. Get outside and enjoy the great outdoors."