By Julian Wilson
Assistant Opinions Editor
After the spring semester ends, we all know that summer break is something to look forward to in order to relieve stress, encourage relaxation, and just kick back and have a good time. Sounds like the perfect thing for a student, especially after a long year of tests, homework, and papers. However, does all that time off during the summer also encourage academic laziness?
According to an article by Nick Chiles, published on Aug. 27 in “The Hechinger Report,” a nonprofit newsroom focused on the most important topics in education today, it absolutely does.
“If children are not intellectually stimulated during the summer, if they don’t do reading and other activities to keep their brains firing at optimal levels, they will need weeks —if not months —to get back up to speed in the fall,” said Chiles.
Summer represents many things, but it also signifies a decline in academic presence. Therefore, it was given the name “the summer slide.” With the term, Chiles dives further into detail, revealing the extent of how bad academic deprivation during summer vacation can get.
“An argument can be made that summer slide is the most severe, under-addressed problem in the American education ecosystem. After all, fixing it would mean stomping on the American idyll of lazy sun- drenched days. Summers are the precious amber of so many childhoods. Year-round schools? That would be like desecrating apple pie,” Chiles stated.
Does summer slide affect college students as well?
Senior Electronic Media major Connor Vogt is not so sure. “I worked 10-hour days over the summer, but I would always read when I got home. I try not to get too academically lazy over the summer because then it’s harder to get the brain going once classes begin again,” Vogt said. “If I do get lazy, I try to snap myself out of it quickly.”
Sophomore Broadcasting major Richard Renelique, on the other hand, admits that he gets lazy in the summer. “I definitely do become lazy after summer vacation, because I am taken out of the routine of studying and handing in assignments,” he said. “My brain adjusts to
the endless possibilities of free time, and makes me have absolutely no desire to do schoolwork.”
Renelique, though, is optimistic about getting back into a school routine. “To get back into routine I will need to remind myself of my goals and remember how rewarding it is to work hard.”
In case you find yourself as one of the students still in a daze trying to readjust to school, here are some tips to help you get back into routine. Provided by ‘lifehacker.com,’ a site known for providing “tips, tricks and downloads for getting things done.” Here are some to remember this semester:
1. Start your day right: well-rested and with a good breakfast 2. Get started early
3. Plan your day and week
4. Start with small stuff you can check off
5. Tackle your e-mails in order of importance
Summer vacation can recharge many students, especially
after countless, sleepless nights of homework and studying. However, remember that it is also important to maintain the flow of brain activity. Whether it would be working during the summer, or treating yourself to some episodes on Netflix. After working hard on a goal, it is important to keep your brain stimuli healthy and ready for the upcoming school semester.
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