Hello, I am a high schooler with a full two and a half months of summer vacation ahead of me. I don’t know how to spend my time—everyone is suggesting different directions. I want to make the most of this summer because I don’t have many summers left. What’s the best way to spend my summer?
—There’s Always Money in the Banana Stand
Jay: This is probably the wrong column to ask for advice about summer vacation. We go on hiatus during the summer. We don’t do much of anything. We relax; we recoup. If anyone sees us, it’s a rerun. Don’t stress out too much about your summer plans. It’s the rest of the year that really counts. Have a boring summer. When you go back to school, you’ll explain your summer as, “It was good. I hung out. It was pretty uneventful.” Talk about a perfect summer.
Eliza: Man, high school is stressful. Four years to do everything you can to get into the best college. Looking at it now, I lost all of my momentum in the summer. My cousin got into Carnegie Mellon because she got internships during the summer. Carnegie Mellon! If you think that doesn’t change the trajectory of your life, you’re wrong. You would not believe how many doors opened for my cousin because she went to Carnegie Mellon. So don’t lose the momentum during the summer. Keep doing whatever you need to do to get into the best college you can.
Gene: Summer is about making money. The kids with money run the high school. They talk about getting money out of politics, but really, they need to get money out of high schools. The nice thing about getting a job is that if it’s the right job, you’ll have a blast. My friends and I almost burned the ice cream shop we worked at down during the summer. You’ll make friends, make memories and make money—so then you can rule the high school.
Kenny: Go to the beach. All of the best summers happen at the beach. Go to the beach every day. The kids in Grease spent their summer at the beach, and look what that led to. The beach has surfing, volleyball, ice cream and a bunch of beach people. Beach boys, in particular, really do have fun, fun, fun until their daddy takes the T-Bird away. You could hang out with such beach boys and beach girls if you’re down at the beach! It’s a one-word answer. Summers are for “beach.”