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"Summer Plans"

May 25, 2007

It’s been a little over a week since I officially finished all of my exams, so my summer has begun in earnest. The dark circles around my eyes are fading along with the exam-stress-induced breakouts, and three months of break loom before me, a godsend after a busy semester. At this point, the question arises: what to do with all this time? First, though, I should assess my sanity, considering the full schedule I had this semester and the fact that I know you’re all dying to know whether I cracked or not.

A brief recap: I took five classes instead of the usual four, worked in the writing center, spent my Spring Break in Peru, and strove to involve myself in campus activities (like Campus MovieFest) and organizations (like the Philosophy Club). Was it too much? To be honest, I did fine until the last few weeks of the semester. Early on, I was able to keep up with readings and assignments without too much trouble. I guess this lulled me into a false sense of security; Rollins courses tend to be end-heavy, so by the final weeks of the semester (as my energy was flagging), long papers came due with alarming speed, and three take-home exams were the final straw. Come midnight Tuesday, I was at home and had spent the last several hours working on my last take-home. I hit burn-out: I collapsed into bed with unbrushed teeth and unwashed face, clad in the jeans and T-shirt I’d been wearing all day (something I can’t ever recall doing before) and slept until after 10 the next morning (which, for me, is incredibly late). I have no desire to repeat the stress and despair of this semester’s exams. So what’s the verdict on five classes? I think it can work with good planning. If I’d started on them earlier and spread my work out a little more, I think I would have been okay. For better or for worse, I’m taking five again in the fall and attempting to get myself involved in even more extracurricular activities. I’m determined to make it work; we’ll see if it works or not.

For now, though, it’s time to focus on summer plans. As I wrote after winter break, I’m the kind of person who needs to preempt boredom by keeping myself busy. I take great pride in informing you that I have acted on my observations. This summer, I’m doing an internship with the Sixth Judicial Circuit of the Pinellas County Courts. I’m considering law school as a post-Rollins educational option, so I hope this internship will provide me with some instructive exposure to the field of law. I won’t be working full-time, and the internship doesn’t last the whole summer, but it should keep me occupied for a good eight weeks. In July, the five of us—Mom, Dad, Lauren, Jason, and I—will pile into the van to drive to Tennessee, where we’re meeting other relatives for a family reunion. We went to Tennessee last summer, too, and it was a nice vacation. Upon our return, I have no shame in admitting that I have every intention of holing up with the final Harry Potter book for the last hurrah. Other than that, my summer plans are pretty general, though they include working out and applying for as many scholarships as possible. It should be a good summer. At the very least, I shouldn’t be bored.

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