Teen Talk
Bettering Yourself this Summer
By Gabrielle Harris
Summertime has finally arrived—exam week is done for the high school students, middle and elementary school student’s end of the year parties are over, and college students are coming home for their summer vacations. It’s time to hit the beach and enjoy the Florida sun, even though you can probably do that any season, knowing Florida and its excessive heat. With summer comes change, a new school year is approaching whether it’s entering a new school or just moving up a grade level. Also opportunity is everywhere whether it’s getting a summer job or going to a summer program; many new things can happen during the summer time. Summer may be the time for relaxation and fun, but it’s also a time to prepare for the upcoming school year or just beneficially changing your ways.
This is the summer of my going from junior year to senior year, which is a humongous step. The fact that I’m going to be graduating next May is suddenly hitting me and it feels unreal. So far this summer I’ve accomplished taking the SAT, not even a week after school ending, finishing my online class and signing up for two more, and applying for more possible summer jobs. I’ve also accomplished starting yet another TV show series, which was actually a goal of mine. Along with having fun this summer and resting from this extremely stressful year, I still have school work to do along with summer packets and reading assignments. Every summer I decide to set a goal for myself to achieve over the summer break to positively impact my life.
This summer I plan to get more active, get a job for the upcoming school year, and to have all of my school work done before I get back to school. Setting goals for yourself over this long break is an extremely good idea; it gives you the chance to be on the right track for whatever the goal may be. I highly recommend setting a goal now and accomplishing it. It falls under the same category of a New Year’s Resolution, but this one you should actually follow and not just say you’re going to do. Goals can fall under jobs, education, fitness and health, or even your social life. Setting a goal and making sure it happens is the motto that I usually follow every summer. Last summer my goal was to stay positive, which I did achieve and now I’m an extremely positive person.
Don’t make it a goal that you’ll “go to the gym everyday” if you know you’re not going to do it! Actually go to the gym if that’s what you want your goal to be. I highly recommend that you set a goal for yourself this summer break, even if it takes longer than the summer to achieve! Happy Summer!
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Gabrielle Harris will be a senior at Wellington High School. She is involved in the Quidditch team, Key Club, and is the social media and news editor for the WHS Wave school newspaper. She hopes to study mass communications in college and aspires to someday tell her travel stories to the world.