As a Hillsdale student I spent many hours during hell week and finals daydreaming about my summer. It is that wonderful time when I would be able to stop studying and I could work on something that actually mattered enough to someone they would pay me for it. The work hours would not consume my life so that I could read something that I would not have to write a paper about. I would be able to deepen my friendships with my family members and people I grew up with. The summer would allow me to finally learn how to play the guitar and finish that short story I started last summer. If only it was summer…
So this summer starts to form in my head, the ideal summer. Fruitful work, unhindered rest, recreational reading, meaningful friendships, hobbies, all come together in this perfect combination to make it both the most productive summer and the most relaxing one. This summer, however, never seems to make it out of Plato’s realm of forms. Instead of an “awesome” summer, I usually have summers that fail in many ways. I am learning from these fails and have a new approach.
Rid yourself of the ideal summer, especially the one that you conceive in the dark hours of the night as you write your term paper. I think that dreaming about our futures expresses our innate humanness—so don’t misunderstand me. Dreaming can give a lot of joy, motivation, and courage. Two dangers, nevertheless, present themselves: folly and tyranny. Conceived in agony, optimism, or stories of someone else’s summer, these ideal summers do not have a firm foundation in reality. You will need to soberly assess the challenges and opportunities presented in the summer before you can make plans. How foolish to imagine a summer of deepening old friendships when you are studying abroad in Spain miles away from them. Having avoided that danger you should also realize that these dreams might easily turn into tyrants. The more you dwell on your expectations and ideals the more emotional weight they will bear upon you. An ambitious summer plan that you’re highly committed to will crush you if you cannot hold it up. In the end, hold your ideal loosely as you head into summer.
Don’t do summer alone. Talk with your friends, family, and other people that you know and respect. Get their advice about the kinds of things they think would help you this summer. Try to get their perspective on what kind of options and difficulties you will face given the reality you know about what you are committed to in terms of work, where you will be in terms of access to friends, family and church, and what you personally need and want. Then enlist their support, especially when you will be facing challenges you have not faced before. Set up regular Skype dates. Form a reading group that meets up regularly. Explore different options for church with your parents before you move to a new city.
There are so many cool things to do in a summer, but you can’t do them all. I have already mentioned a few categories: work, rest, reading, friendships, and hobbies. I would add leisure and travel. Taking the time to reflect on and dig into major themes of what you studied spring semester can prove very fulfilling and so can exploring the sights and culture of a new city you’re working in this summer. All that said, prioritize what is most important to you and your summer. A good friend said he has to take his summer list and cut it in half and I agree. Be realistic, get help, and keep your priorities in sight.