How to Relax All Summer and Still Sound Impressive on Paper

Alas, we have survived another school year, and we are just days away from the beginning of summer break. For the Stuy student, though, is summer break really a break? It seems that everyone I talk to has something lined up for July and August: an internship, research project, SAT prep course, college classes, and, for some, all of the above. But after ten months of endless work and sleepless nights, don’t we deserve a real summer break? Fear not, my fellow Stuy student who has nothing lined up for the summer, partly because you procrastinated and partly because, deep down, you just wanted a real break. I’ve come up with some summer “projects” that will allow you to relax while still making it sound like you did something really impressive! 

1. The Sleep Study Research Project

For the past ten months, you’ve woken up to the default alarm ringtone on your phone, snoozing until the very last minute and then waking up frantically to wash up and get ready as quickly as possible while still looking somewhat presentable. The sound of that ringtone probably gives you PTSD from all the times you ran to your train stop only to see the doors close on the train that would’ve just barely gotten you to school on time. At least for July and August, wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up simply because you can’t sleep anymore? There is a way! Consider doing a sleep study on the growing teenager. There are plenty of things you can “research:” What are the long-term effects of waking up without an alarm clock? How much sleep is too much sleep? Can one summer cure a sleep-deprived teenager? Now, sleeping your summer away while still calling it “research” does require a little work. Simply log the time that you wake up each morning and write up your findings in the most academic-sounding way possible. For example, instead of saying that you felt really rested after sleeping until noon for three weeks straight, say, “My study found a strong positive correlation between summer break and adolescent sleep recovery.” Then, find some published research paper that sort of backs up these findings. That’s what the government seems to do these days, so why can’t you?

2. The Environmental Cleanup Project

You’ve stayed indoors for most of the year studying, and your vitamin D levels as well as your complexion are clear evidence of that. This next “project” allows you to hang out at the beach (or park, if that’s more your vibe) all summer long and get some color back into your skin. Find that perfect summer outfit that will get you the tan you want, slather on some sunblock, and head over to your sunny destination. Now the key is to be on the lookout for some litter. Just once in a while, glance around and see if there’s any trash around. It’s NYC, it’s not going to take much effort to find. Then, simply go throw it out or recycle it, and congrats! You are now the Founder, President, and Executive Director of the NYC Summer 2026 BBS Clean Up Initiative LLC. It’s a win-win situation: it’s great to care for the environment, and you can get your tan on. Colleges love students who take their own initiative and show leadership. What does BBS stand for? Baywatch Body Stuyvesant. Hey, we can be more than brains at Stuy! 

3. The Teenage Investment Project

Are you tired of asking your parents for money only to hear them say “no?” All you want to do this summer is get a part-time job to save up for that new outfit. But the only “job” you can get is walking your neighbor’s dog a few times a week and only because your dad straight up asked your neighbor if you could have that job. Go ahead and take that “job” and save up! If you’re worried that it doesn’t sound very impressive on paper, here’s what you can do. Be warned that this next step will cut into your paycheck, but the reward will be worth it in the long run. The minimum amount to invest with Fidelity is $1.00. Take your $1.00 and invest it in anything. As long as there is any growth, just write about how you increased your investment by X percent when you write about your student-led summer investment firm. Colleges don’t need to know that your 50 percent return was from $1.00 to $1.50. Now, to sound really impressive, ask your friend for the $1.00 they owe you and invest it for them. Boom! Your firm now has a client. To go a step further, ask your sibling (or parent) to check your Fidelity app to see how your investment is doing. Boom! Your firm now has an employee you manage. Trust me, colleges will eat this up! 

4. The Philosophical, “I’m Above It” Project

The last project idea may be the riskiest but might also produce the highest reward. So, the idea is to just enjoy the summer break in whatever way that you want. If you want to read books all summer long (personal plug for anything Jane Austen), go for it! If you want to finish all the seasons of Andor and rewatch the Star Wars movies and TV shows in the correct timeline, go for it! The strategy is play now and justify later. Now, when it’s time to write about yourself in your college essay, the goal is to write a criticism about everything that’s broken about the college process. Why has the innocence of our youth been stolen by the endless hoops we have to jump through simply to gain acceptance into some four-year university? Why are we living more like first-year consultants than regular 16-year-olds? You weren’t wasting your summers. You were making a statement. Your summers weren’t about relaxing. No, you were protesting the very process that you are now applying through. If written well, you may be so bold, so courageous, so above it all that they accept you. After all, there have always been those rumors of kids who get into their colleges in some absurd way, like writing the same word 100 times to fill the essay’s word count. Who knows? If this works, you too can become a legend: the student who played all summer and still got into their dream college. 

I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for summer break. Okay, to be honest, I’m getting really nervous because the closest I’ve come to getting ready for summer is writing this article about getting ready for summer. It’s late, like really late, and applications for summer internships are closed, volunteer opportunities are filled, and research programs are no longer accepting applicants. So I have two options. First, I can take my own advice, trust myself, choose one of these “projects,” and just enjoy the few summers I’ll have in life as a teenager. Second, I can hope that at least one person reading this is inspired to drop their internship and relax this summer. If that person is you, please contact me immediately. I would be very interested in taking your spot.