5 Things Every Teenager Should Do This Summer

School is about to end. The summer vacation we've been waiting for has finally arrived. As the school year ends, we often think about how we can make the most of our summer vacation so we can hit the ground running when school starts again. Some of you will travel to different places, visit friends, or perhaps relax on the beach.

But the question is always what kind of things we can do over the summer and how we can better prepare for the new school year ahead. Here are 5 things to do during summer 2024!

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1. Learn a new skill

Take advantage of the summer to learn a new skill and try something different than what you normally would. The skill could be something that matches your interests or can help you in the future. Learning a new skill may not be useful now, but it could have an impact on your life. As Steve Jobs said in a Stanford commencement speech:

“You can’t connect the dots by looking into the future; you can only connect them by looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will connect one way or another in your future. ~ Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class and learned calligraphy because he dropped out of college. The skills he learned learning calligraphy about typography came back to him when he designed the Macintosh computer at Apple. It is thanks to the learning of calligraphy that typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts are now present on all computers.

“It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never taken that one course in college, the Mac would never have had multiple fonts or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it is likely that no personal computer has them. ~ Steve Jobs

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The new skill you learn could be learning to play guitar through GuitarZoom or coding through Treehouse. The possibilities for how you decide to learn a new skill are endless.

2. Give back to your community

Volunteering is a great way to spend your summer and can boost your college applications and resume whether you're in middle school or high school. You can dedicate some of your time during the summer to a retirement home, a local charity, or even a non-governmental organization (NGO). Volunteering not only helps you gain work experience and meet people from all walks of life, but you can also help others improve their quality of life.

If you like working online, you can choose to volunteer for the Smithsonian Digital Volunteer Program in the transcription to “make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible”.

Take the initiative to start reaching out to local community and charitable organizations to explore different volunteer opportunities. You can find out about their current initiatives and express your interest in getting involved, or even ask your school if there are any volunteer projects over the summer that you can participate in. Additionally, consider volunteering online for the Smithsonian to make historical records more accessible. Be the change!

3. Spend time with friends

Go do something fun during your summer and spend time with your close friends, de-stress, relax and laugh about your good memories. Depending on your age, you can plan an excursion with your friends to a new place and even explore the world. Spend a day at the beach with friends, go hiking together, or spend a few days camping together and reconnect with nature.

A friend of mine recommends planning a stay together at one of the resorts; I'm curious how this will turn out. For younger teens, you can have a sleepover with your friends during the summer. Or if you have friends who are far away and you don't usually visit them, you can go see them!

I have a friend in Hong Kong who I haven't seen in a year. I plan to visit him during my summer vacation.

Summer vacation is a time for us to relax and recharge and we often do it best with our friends. Resting and recharging are essential to prepare for a new school year ahead.

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4. Read for pleasure

Throughout the school year, we spent countless hours each day reading textbooks, articles, classic literature, and other school-assigned reading materials. It's time to read for pleasure and read things you love, like reading The Teen Magazine or a Manga. Read something that interests you and wants to learn more about, knowing that it's time to indulge your interests over the summer.

Some of my favorite books include Farheight 451, by Ray Bradbury, which I recommend to those of you who haven't read it yet. If you like non-fiction, I would recommend Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight. Here are some books I would recommend to teens:

• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
• On writing: a memoir of the profession, by Stephen King
• The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

It doesn't matter whether you choose a book or a graphic novel, reading something that can pique your interest is the most important.

5. Explore Mother Nature

Mother nature has always surrounded us. So why not take a walk in the woods, mountains or hills to relieve stress? For those of you who live in the city, this is a great opportunity to recharge your batteries from the busy city and spend time in a quieter environment to recollect your thoughts during the summer. You can explore nature with your friends and family and it's a great opportunity to reconnect with loved ones after the school year.

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How many of these summer activities have you done so far? Was it worth your time? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.