What will you learn this summer?
I’m not talking about academics, though you might choose to do that as well.
I’m talking about learning from the world, from experiences, from nature, and from other people. I’m talking about learning from life.
Perhaps you’ll take up a hobby that requires you to learn something interesting. Gardening? Tennis? Guitar? Foraging? Chess? Cooking? Birding?
Maybe you’ll learn how to run a small business by starting a side hustle. Perhaps you’ll learn a trade through a summer job or internship. The way you earn money this summer might teach you what you don’t want to do with your life.
Maybe you’ll travel somewhere and learn about another culture or experience natural wonders you can’t find near home. Or maybe you’ll explore the place where you live more deeply, uncovering the stories and hidden gems of your own neighborhood.
Learning can happen by accident, but it’s usually more satisfying when the endeavor is intentional.
But don’t get me wrong; this isn’t homework. It’s life, and summer is a chance to figure out how to make your life more yours. It’s an opportunity to try new things, to explore, to choose your own adventure.
So don’t waste it.
You’ll be back to school sooner than you think.
Chris Loper has been working as a tutor and academic coach since 2014, racking up over 13,000 hours of experience supporting students.
Along with Greg Smith, Chris is the co-creator of Parenting for Academic Success, a series of classes that create empowered parents, confident students, and harmonious families.
Chris writes the popular self-improvement blog Becoming Better, where he also offers habit coaching, helping busy adults with habit formation and productivity.
Chris’s most recent endeavor combines his academic and habit-formation expertise to help students thrive in college. Visit SmartCollegeHabits.com to learn more.
In 2021, he published a humorous memoir titled Wood Floats and Other Brilliant Observations, a book that blends crazy stories with practical life lessons.
He lives in Issaquah, WA, where he is the owner of South Cove Tutoring.