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by Jaspreet Mangat
Summer Challenge
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the never-ending stream of fashion blogs, car blogs, and “this is my second-by-second life” blogs . . . How can students study redox-reactions in chemistry, or Wordsworth’s great odes when the latest fashion shows and gaming updates are bombarding us?
I recall sitting in the Irving K. Barber Library at UBC during exam time. You would expect students to be silently studying or discussing course material with each other or writing essays. Some were, but a majority were engaged in less strenuous tasks.
Feet propped up, shoeless, sockless, just over one of the air vents in the library, my classmate Raj was enjoying a vanilla bean iced Frappuccino. Raj was one of the top students in our fourth-year endocrinology class. I grabbed a seat beside him to discuss summer plans. “UFC,” he said. “I downloaded the past six seasons of the Ultimate Fighter and I can’t wait to watch them.”
Despite sharing a passion for the martial arts, I was a little disheartened to hear his summer plans were restricted to watching TV.
When we went to high school together, Raj and I never took summers off. Instead, we took summer courses to get ahead in course work for the next year. We were also sparring partners in Tae Kwon Do (and competed in several championships in Washington and B.C.) and we played music together — guitar and tabla (an interesting duet) — just for kicks.
Four years later we learned how valuable our summer planning was for our academic and personal development in university. The time-management skills we developed while taking summer courses during high school helped us learn how to manage our time during university.
We also learned to let off some “steam” through music and martial arts. Succeeding in school, or in life for that matter, has almost nothing to do with studying day and night, but about balancing your life.
Unfortunately, YouTube, Twitter, MSN messenger and, more recently, Formspring have replaced real lives with virtual ones.
This article is dedicated to helping you plan a real, meaningful summer you will never regret.
Although exams may be over, students can do a lot to prepare for their future careers, expand their interests in music, dance, art and culture.
After you’ve caught up on sleep and your favourite TV shows, get off the couch and do something new.
For instance, participating in local carnivals, cancer walks, or community festivals is a great opportunity to try new activities and keep physically fit.
If you’re a hockey fan, do you play hockey regularly? If not, perhaps get together with your friends and schedule competitive games in your local gym.
Also consider your future career objectives. If you plan to go to trade schools like BCIT or are considering pharmacy, nursing or education as future career goals, think about the skills and knowledge you will need to excel.
Volunteer with a local non-profit organization in a field that interests you. Allocate some of your computer time to Googling volunteer opportunities. And instead of Facebooking friends from your classes, call them over the phone (calling friends may go extinct soon, so do it while it lasts). Talk about your social life, your summer plans, and academic goals for the summer.
You’d be surprised how satisfying phone conversations are, and the great advice your friends will give you about course work and social activities over the phone and in person.
Lastly, do productive things with your family. TV has become the central mode of activity in many families. According to Dr. Norman Herr, professor of Science Education at California State University, North American families spend over 28 hours per week watching television.
It’s not surprising that cardiovascular disease, diabetes and weight gain are on the rise as there seems to be a lack of daily physical activities. Recognizing this chronic problem, my friend Sukhdeep makes it a priority to walk with her mom after dinner each evening. They have an opportunity to talk, share their feelings, and joke about their daily stresses. They’ve become closer by spending more one-on-one time with each other as opposed to TV time.
After exams this summer, try to stay away from anything that has a screen. Challenge yourself to be a better person, a better athlete, a well-rounded musician and a caring friend. None of these attributes will develop while you’re spending time with YouTube.
You’ll also be happy to have gained new experiences when school begins next year, emerging a stronger person than you were before the summer began.
Jaspreet Singh Mangat is recognized as a National Scholar on the Canadian Association of Principals, founder of the non-profit North American Student Alliance Global Health Care Foundation, and has worked modestly in communities below the poverty line in Europe and India. A Governor General Award recipient, he now works within the community to engage students in dialogue surrounding community development. For project ideas and scholarship advice, you can reach him at jaspreetsingh@nasaghc.com |
