Summer School. Approached with disdain and disgust by disgruntled youth everywhere, this American tradition amounts to little more than an afterthought for many — a placeholder for June and July, a way to pass the time. Whether working on mad flute skills or playing math catch up, kids and teens find themselves sweating in classrooms across the country, asking themselves, “How did I get here?”
In the spirit of Summer Lovin’ at GERM, it’s high time to re-frame the thing that is summer school. How can you learn to love summer school? Like doing a headstand for the brain, try turning that right around into a statement and thinking to yourself, “I love to learn, and summer school is another way to do just that!” “How,” you might be asking yourself, “can I possibly love summer school with the lazy summer sun teasing me from my literal hot seat when ice-cold lemonade on sandy beaches is just beyond my reach?” Easy. Just follow GERM‘s Summer Lovin’ Summer School hot tips. In 5 simple steps, you can turn the drudgery that was summer school into a party for your brain, body, and spirit.
Summer Lovin’= Lovin’Summer School: 5 Ideas Toward Summer Scholar Bliss…
1. Radical Acceptance: Okay, so you are in summer school because that algebra course didn’t go so well. Fair enough. Learning is sometimes challenging, and some things are more fun to study than others, depending on your interests. The key is accepting yourself and realizing that everybody — yes, even you — will eventually run up against something hard. It’s alright; it’s normal, and you are not alone. Remember, beefing up your skills makes the next level easier to attain. Put in the time now, reap the reward later. This is a lesson that applies both in and out of school. Finally, perfection really isn’t the goal and shouldn’t be your aim. Think of your summer school performance as your “personal best.” Determine what that is for you, go for it, and be proud of it.
2. Mix It Up: Summer school doesn’t have to be all academic. You are there anyway, so take a course in something just for fun. Yeah, that’s right, take a class for the pure joy of it. There’s a treasure trove of lovely learning to be had: video production, songwriting, yoga — you name it! Who knows, this “extra” class might just be your passion, or your new best friend might be waiting to meet you there.
3. Opportunity Knocks: In most areas, summer school is free for public school students. Think about it. The ability to go to school anytime and learn with no strings attached is a luxury and privilege many children and youth around the world would be thrilled to have. So grab a buddy and sign up. It’s a way for you to share the experience with someone you already like to spend time with and be grateful for it.
4. Hidden Lessons: In this space of challenge and disappointment that may have brought you to summer school in the first place, you are going to be learning more than algebra by the end of your courses. Grit and persistence lead to a sense of accomplishment and intentional risk: taking that will carry you far. In short, building your self-confidence so that you can start and finish something difficult in the future is key to having success in life. Summer school is actually an opportunity to take a micro-risk that is a baby step in the sprint of life. Take advantage of all it has to offer.
5. Short & Sweet: Even if your stint in school this summer still goes down as a bitter pill, keep your perspective. It’s not forever. As each week passes, reward yourself with something small but meaningful to help keep your eyes on the prize. After all, the beach will still be waiting!