School is ending and summer is coming up quickly. So many students barely have any free time in the summer, but there’s also many others that are bored out of their minds and have no idea what to do with all of their free time. There are so many different things to do like, finding new hobbies, taking a class, getting a job, or playing sports. 

Hobbies: 

Having hobbies to do during the summer is a great way to spend your time because it keeps you from staring at your phone all day and keeps you busy.

Taylor Manternach, sophomore, always find something to do during the day. “I really like to go swimming in my pond, tan, and just spend time outside either at my house or around town with my friends,” said Manternach. “I also really like to walk and bike in the summer because it is fun, and you can get some exercise doing that.” If you are always looking for something to do, these can be great things to pass time whenever you are free. There are also so many different things that you can do inside like baking or reading. As well as other things outside like walking, camping, or fishing.

Also, going to a camp or two over the course of the summer is a great way to spend your time and is actually a very popular thing to do at Mount Vernon High School. Many students enjoy going to sports camps or bible camps. Most of them are participating in the camps, but then some of them even help run those sports camps or are counselors at church camps.

Take a class: 

Taking a class over the summer may not be on the top of everyone’s lists of things to do, or it may not have even crossed your mind since you’re so happy to get out of school everyday. However taking any sort of class can be very beneficial. Take freshman Eden Voight, for example, who took geometry on Apex the summer before her freshman year. This helped her get ahead in math before coming into high school. “Since I took that over the summer it helped me be able to jump right into Algebra 2 my freshman year,” she said. Taking this class right away coming into high school was very helpful for her, “It’s nice to be ahead so I know I can have so much freedom in the future over what classes I want to do or if I want to have a free period instead,” Voight said.

Getting to the point of actually taking the class could make or break it for some students. As an eighth-grader, Voight had to sign up and also take a test in order to be eligible for an online class. However, as a high school student all you need to do to sign up for a class is talk to one of the counselors and they will help you get everything filled out and then all you have to do is take the class orientation, and then of course take the actual class. Taking a class over the summer can be very beneficial. 

Get a job:

Most people have lots of free time in the summer and that can get boring very easily. Getting a job is a great way to fix that. By getting a job over the summer it is the perfect chance to earn money and spend time with friends, if you like your co-workers of course. Working can also take up a lot of your time preventing you from being bored. But then again you can adjust your schedule so there is plenty of time to do anything else you could want to do over the summer.

Jada Ripke, a sophomore, is a lifeguard over the summer at Jones pool in Cedar Rapids. She gives kids swim tests, and also teaches group lessons. This takes up a good amount of time in her day while keeping her away from boredom. “My guard lessons can be anywhere between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., so it is really just whenever I am available,” she said. Ripke’s hours are very flexible, “My other shifts vary, open shifts are 12-5 and night shifts are 6-9:30 p.m.” Getting a job can be very beneficial in many ways like creating new friendships. “I really like the people that I get to work with, it makes going to work worth it,” said Ripke. Being a lifeguard is not for everyone, but there are still so many other jobs that you can have while having just as good of an experience. 

Play a sport: 

Another great way to spend your summer is by playing a sport. In summer many sports happening whether they’re actually in season or just preseason training. There’s in season sports like softball and baseball. As well as many other sports that are not in season quite yet but have pre-season training sessions, like swimming, volleyball, football, and tennis. Practicing and playing a sport takes up a good amount of time while also making sure you still have fun. Playing with your friends always helps make it more enjoyable too.

Lydia Woods, a sophomore, plays softball in the summer. “I like softball because it is a fast-paced game and each play is different,” said Woods, “but what really makes softball enjoyable is simply the ability to play. To be able to glorify God in something like a school sport makes softball 10x better.” Being able to enjoy what you are doing and who you are doing it with makes summer sports all worth it. Even though it can take up a good amount of your day and week. “ Each day is different with how many hours it takes up, but I would say five hours a day at the peak of the softball season, but in the preseason it’s usually only 2-3 hours a day,” Woods said. 

Just like preseason sports Mount Vernon has a summer speed and agility program every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning over the course of the summer. Even though this is not an actual sport it is a great way to prepare athletes for any sports that they do. So many students participate in speed and agility from grades 6-12th, athletes and non athletes. This is a great way to get in exercise during the summer.

Summer can be a very boring time only if you don’t know what to do with it. But, hopefully now you have an idea or two of things you could start doing, or continue doing with your time this summer.