Summer: the thing that students look forward to most during the whole school year. For many teens however, their summer is consumed by preparation for the upcoming school year. Summer should be a time for students to regroup from the previous school year, not continue to wear themselves out.

According to a poll through twitter, 40 percent of FHS students who responded have a summer job. Being self sufficient is a lifelong skill that every individual should learn, within moderation. A child’s life should not be determined on the number of hours they work each week. Adulthood is the period of your life meant to be dedicated to working, not your youthful years. These years should be dedicated to obtaining an education and figuring yourself out as a individual.

Most students involved in athletics, marching band or any other club have summer weeks dedicated to their extracurricular during the summer months. These students are obligated to attend week long camps in preparation for the upcoming school year. In addition to the hours put into such camps, open gyms or practices are also mandatory during days of the week.

Out of the year, students spend 10 months battling to manage all of their classes and busy schedules. The constant pressure these 10 months present induce stress and anxiety on many students. According to the American Psychological Association, over 45 percent of students found themselves stressed by academic pressures.

On top of the stress presented to students during the school year, this also extends into the summer months for those taking advanced courses. Summer homework is often assigned with the goal to keep teens thinking over the break, however all it ends up being is a big waste of time.

Car rides with the windows down, beach days and park picnics: this is what summer should be about. Spending time with friends and establishing lifelong relationship should be a priority during the warm months of summer. Life goes by in the blink of an eye, seize every moment you are able to go out and be youthful.