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Work after a year of work Stephen Kaliski ’09

After 185 days of school most people can only think about what the summer has in store for them. The sleep, free time, ability to hang out with friends, and trips. But for some, summer is just the beginning of a whole new work load. Ranging from jobs at the local ice cream parlor, to internships at major corporations, to summer courses, many students at WHS opt for an arguably more productive summer. Jeff Cameron (’08) decided to take advantage of his free time last summer. Jeff spent four 60-hour weeks at Precision Digital, a company that makes digital panel meters, working in the engineering department doing product research, organization, review, and proofreading. Although he wasn’t paid, Jeff decided to spend around a third of his summer working because he has a large interest in the engineering field. Jeff said that “even though I wasn’t paid, it was a great experience. What I learned and experienced working there exceeds any money that I could have made otherwise.” Others choose to opt for the money and get a typical high school job. Jeff Pini (’09) worked over the summer, and still currently works, at White Mountain Creamery. Jeff Pini stated that “it has been kind of a tradition working at White Mountain. My brother did, and I figured I might as well...I would definitely suggest getting a job over the summer. I mean, at some point you just run out of things to do.” A third option is taking courses. In some cases courses are taken because of a need for credits, but in other cases people choose to get ahead or increase their knowledge in a field of their interest. Although the premise of spending the summer working may appear insipid, the benefits which can be obtained or worth it in the long run. Whether its taking an internship, getting a job, the benefits are numerous.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” Stephen Kaliski ’09

As the clock is about to ring, nearly the entire student body holds their breath, waiting for the signal that school is over and they are free for the next few months. One cannot wait to just sleep in, hang out with friends, and just waste time thinking of all the things one can do, because they can. After spending 185 days working hard, one deserves to just relax. The school year can be very stressful, and all of this built-up stress needs to be removed. Summer is a time for renewal of ones mind and body. It is a time to just make up for all of the days where you cram for a test or write a big paper. Nikos Karakasidis (’08) said that it is beneficial to relax in the summer because “you won’t be able to retain the same amount of information without having a healthy break, especially since each person faces a new curriculum and set of goals each year.” Without a period of time to just relax, the information you learned that previous year won’t have a chance to fully sink in. There are many ways to relax, and there is no need to go fully in depth on them, however some suggestions are: hanging out with friends, sleeping, watching movies, playing games, etc. The list goes on. Caroline Egan (’08) told that “after spending the entire year working, that two month period of bliss is well deserved and should be taken advantage of.” Out of the 12 month year, high school students spend about 9 months in school. Clearly shown by the 1:3 ratio (break to school) it is necessary to take advantage of this time given to us by the Department of Education and relax.

Half and half Stephen Kaliski ’09

The number of things one can do over the summer is infinite. Immediately one may want to just “chill” and hang out with their friends. This is enjoyable for a while, but at some point you just run out of things to do. Honestly, you can only go to the movies so many times. You can’t spend all day playing video games or conducting “tom-foolery” with the friends. In the “big picture” it is beneficial to work and be productive year round. At the some time, however, not relaxing can be detrimental to one’s psyche. In my opinion, the best way to spend summer is with the half-and-half technique. Finding a balance between laziness and OCD is what is key. The reasons for this are numerous. Firstly, it maintains a healthy lifestyle. Secondly, it maintains some level of work ethics that will transfer between the two school years. At the beginning of a new school year, there is always that warm-up period where you are returning back to the normal swing of things. By working just a little over the summer this period is eliminated, making the transition back to school easier. Thirdly, demonstrating success in working and willingness to sacrifice part of ones own free time is arguably very attractive to college admissions (not to say that that is a driving reason). If one is concerned about not being able to maintain a strong social life during the summer, there are many solutions. Working over the summer doesn’t imply 70-hour weeks. You can keep an eye on your schedule and construct social events around that. You can even get all your friends to join in on the job with you. Regardless of reasoning, maintaining a healthy balance between work and play is beneficial for ones own psyche and performance in school.