Opinion Piece: Is Summer Work Really Necessary?

Written By: Amolika Bhatia (‘29)

Summer break is the highlight of the year for many students. After nine months of work, a short two month period to relax and explore beyond academics is what burnt out young scholars need. But most high school students find these few sacred months disturbed by summer work.

When asked about her opinion on summer assignments, Evangeline Johnson (‘29) shared how she believed “Summer work [takes] away from vacation time and time with friends and family.” With a vacation meant to serve as an escape, this overlap of work is counter intuitive, and completely takes away from the purpose of summer break. Furthermore, having unfinished work during summer adds stress for many students, causing them to be less involved with their social life.

Summer assignments may seem inconvenient, but there is still potential for them to be a useful tool. Faye Holliman (‘29) sees summer work through a different lens, and believes “[Summer work] can be very useful for students to remain productive over summer break.” While summer break is meant to serve as a time for students to decompress and relax, it is common for the academic material learned from the past school year to be forgotten, usually due in part to what is referred to as ‘the summer slump.’ This slump makes it difficult to learn new concepts since fundamental skills are forgotten, and students often do not want to relearn a topic. Incorporating minimal and simple practice can help preserve the skills students have learned from the past school year. This practice can also save time at the beginning of the new school year. Instead of having to review nine months’ worth of work within several weeks, students have more time to be introduced to their new classes and prepare for the upcoming year. 

Students are ecstatic for summer break, and with good reason too! While it is important to recharge and enjoy yourself, it is equally important to beat the summer slump. Minimal summer work is necessary to maintain a sharp mind, but do not let that keep you from enjoying your break to the fullest!