Ways to not waste your summer ?

[moose]

Ways to "not waste your summer"?

I often hear people talking about how one should never waste a summer by doing nothing.

What could I do to "not waste my summer" this upcoming summer?

Other than
-Have a job
-Visit some colleges
-maybe take some classes at a community college
?

I know it's a while until summer, but...

 

[Cyrus]

classes at a community college

Take something worth while so that you will be better prepared when you start college. I.e. try to take precalculus ( or calculus if your ready), and physics ( make sure you take engineering calculus based physics, not gen ed physics). If your not ready for calculus based physics, take then gen ed one. Id take one for each summer session, as there are usually 2 summer sessions offered at most schools. Just keep in mind its not high school. Your grade will be based primarily on, 2-3 tests, and a lab ( for physics), and 2-3 tests on math, period. No grade for homework, or projects. So you will have to pass those test to pass the class. No extra credit either :-( But it will be a good adjustment, and you will find your next year of high school a joke :-)

Since your only in high school, an internship would not provide you with too much, since you don't have the technical background yet to do anything important. You would probably be better served learning in those summer classes so that next summer are able to do an internship and understand what's going on.

 

[leon1127]

I often hear people talking about how one should never waste a summer by doing nothing.

What could I do to "not waste my summer" this upcoming summer?

Other than
-Have a job
-Visit some colleges
-maybe take some classes at a community college
?

I know it's a while until summer, but...

If you do not have any financial disability, then you should try to get ahead. Either self-study or summer class .

 

[Poop-Loops]

What do you mean by "nothing"?. Have FUN. People who say that are probably the fat balding business men who abandoned life for money a LONG time ago.

You won't get many more of these summers, so make the best of them.

PL

 

[Norman]

I agree with Poop-Loops on this one. You are still a kid and you should be a kid. But you are also 16 and should be preparing to become an adult (omg- I'm turning into my father (shudders)). I definitely think you should have a part-time job. You can save some money for college, gas money, and spending money. This doesn't mean that you are selling out for the cash. Get a job with a good friend of yours- it will make working a lot more fun. Just don't spend your whole summer playing video games or whatever. Life is about balance. Take on a little more responsibility, but remember you are a 16 year old kid. Make sure you have a lot of fun this upcoming summer. Once you are in college, time for simply goofing off will be few and far between, so relish it now.

 

[ZapperZ]

I often hear people talking about how one should never waste a summer by doing nothing.

What could I do to "not waste my summer" this upcoming summer?

Other than
-Have a job
-Visit some colleges
-maybe take some classes at a community college
?

I know it's a while until summer, but...

On the other hand, you might still have some fun while doing worthwhile stuff.

1. Check the DOE website, or the websites of various US Nat'l Labs. See if they have any high school summer programs. These programs usually run for a few weeks, so it is not as if you will be spending the whole summer doing this and not have any time leftover to have meaningless fun (we all need that).

2. Read very good books about the practice of science/physics. I can recommend a few:

(i) Voodoo Science - Robert Park
(ii) Yes, We Have No Neutrons - Dewdney
(iii) Facing Up : Science and Its Cultural Adversaries - Steven Weinberg
(iv) A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down - Robert Laughlin

Zz.

 

[moose]

Take something worth while so that you will be better prepared when you start college. I.e. try to take precalculus ( or calculus if your ready), and physics ( make sure you take engineering calculus based physics, not gen ed physics). If your not ready for calculus based physics, take then gen ed one. Id take one for each summer session, as there are usually 2 summer sessions offered at most schools. Just keep in mind its not high school. Your grade will be based primarily on, 2-3 tests, and a lab ( for physics), and 2-3 tests on math, period. No grade for homework, or projects. So you will have to pass those test to pass the class. No extra credit either :-( But it will be a good adjustment, and you will find your next year of high school a joke :-)

I am taking Precalculus right now, next semester I will have Calculus and AP Physics (trig based, NOT calc based ). If I were to take a class this summer (I'm a Junior[11th grade] if anyone didn't know), it would be "engineering calculus based physics". I'm not sure if I will wish to take Calculus 2 during the summer, because I hear that the teacher who teaches calc 1 and 2 at my school is absolutely excellent, so I would like to have him again for the next calc class possibly.

What do you mean by "nothing"?. Have FUN. People who say that are probably the fat balding business men who abandoned life for money a LONG time ago.

You won't get many more of these summers, so make the best of them.

PL

Well, doing something FUN doesn't take up the entire summer . I would like to do something worthwhile, just as Zz mentioned.

I agree with Poop-Loops on this one. You are still a kid and you should be a kid. But you are also 16 and should be preparing to become an adult (omg- I'm turning into my father (shudders)). I definitely think you should have a part-time job. You can save some money for college, gas money, and spending money. This doesn't mean that you are selling out for the cash. Get a job with a good friend of yours- it will make working a lot more fun. Just don't spend your whole summer playing video games or whatever. Life is about balance. Take on a little more responsibility, but remember you are a 16 year old kid. Make sure you have a lot of fun this upcoming summer. Once you are in college, time for simply goofing off will be few and far between, so relish it now.

I will most likely get a job next semester, but I'm not sure if I will remain with my job for the summer or take classes/whatnot.

1. Check the DOE website, or the websites of various US Nat'l Labs. See if they have any high school summer programs. These programs usually run for a few weeks, so it is not as if you will be spending the whole summer doing this and not have any time leftover to have meaningless fun (we all need that).
2. Read very good books about the practice of science/physics. I can recommend a few:
(i) Voodoo Science - Robert Park
(ii) Yes, We Have No Neutrons - Dewdney
(iii) Facing Up : Science and Its Cultural Adversaries - Steven Weinberg
(iv) A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down - Robert Laughlin
Zz.

I'll make sure to check the websites, thanks!

I will most definitely read some books over the summer, I'll check those out.


Thank you everyone who has replied.

 

[cscott]

2. Read very good books about the practice of science/physics. I can recommend a few:
(i) Voodoo Science - Robert Park
(ii) Yes, We Have No Neutrons - Dewdney
(iii) Facing Up : Science and Its Cultural Adversaries - Steven Weinberg
(iv) A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down - Robert Laughlin
Zz.

Woo, thanks for the cool recommendations

But yes, I'd encourage independent study. You can chose when you want to study and it leaves plenty of time for other things you might like to do.

 

[Bladibla]

Get yourself a Engineering mathematics book and self- study.

 

[Kalimaa23]

I would vote for fun also. Studying, well, that's what the academic year is for. Don't worry, it won't be long before care-free summers are a distant memory. Enjoy them while you can.

If you have a spare moment, or get bored, nothing is stopping you to look at some material. MIT has a great selection of stuff online with their open course ware.

 

[Andre]

Travel, hike, have fun with friends, make camp fires, observe nature, take pictures. Create adventures, Learn how the world works.

That's what summers are for, there is not a second to loose.

 

[moose]

Last summer I did absolutely nothing, I do not want to make that mistake again :(
Ok, my next question will sound a bit superficial, but what would look best on my college resume?

 

[Cyrus]

No, the correct question is "what would benifit me the most?"

 

[moose]

No, the correct question is "what would benifit me the most?"

I never said I would do whatever looks best I was simply wondering. I'll do what benefits me most, but it would be nice if whatever benefits me most also happens to benefit my college app.

 

[moose]

Ok, I've looked into summer programs, so I'd like to thank Zz for that idea :shy:


I will try to get into a summer program at one of the universities I'm thinking about going two...

I have a low probability of being accepted for summer programs at Cornell University and other colleges of the type, but I can always go to some summer program at U of A.

I like this idea