Student Blogs

The Makings of a College Summer

August 20th, 2014 lmbutt16

Hi again guys!  This seemed like a good time to catch you up on what I did all summer, since summer is almost over, and I didn’t have work today.

I kicked off my summer applying to as many jobs as I could find.  I had applied to a few internships (specifically for publishing/writing), but a lot of the ones I applied to were geared more towards rising seniors as opposed to rising juniors.  So maybe I’ll have more luck next summer.  In high school, you spend your time and energy building up your resume for college.  Once you reach college, it’s time to start that process again, but for potential employers.  Employers especially look for (or so they tell me) past experience, so having even a part-time job that maybe isn’t what you want to be doing for the rest of your life is still a good idea.  I spent about half a week worrying that I wasn’t going to be able to find a job and that I’d have nothing at all to do all summer (and no money) and frantically sending out resumes to as many places as I could think up.  Then I was called by human resources, and after that spent 25 hours per week at AAA New York.  I answered the phone, welcomed members, gave out maps and books, and filled out ticket forms.  All of the people were very friendly, and I enjoyed my time, even if it wasn’t at all writing-based.

I did mean to write over the summer.  I keep telling myself that I will make up for it by writing thousands of words in the three day gap I have between finishing work and leaving for the Hill.  But that’s about three days, and I have to pack (which just might take all three), and I’m most definitely one of those people who brings way too much and thinks it’s totally justified.  I’m pretty sure that after graduation I’m going to need a moving truck, or all three family cars, because there’s already too much to fit in one.  Anyways, I kept getting distracted, or tired.  One thing I found I struggle with is if my schedule is too routine and repetitive.  I find myself looking for checkpoints of non-routine events (a vacation or a friend visiting, for example), and then willing away the time until that checkpoint, instead of enjoying and using that time thoroughly.  Hopefully, my classes next semester will motivate me to do just that, and use the spare time (four days a week of it, thanks to my fantastic/unfortunate schedule) to be productive in things I enjoy, like writing.  I think it will help that I’m taking so many English classes, including creative writing.  Maybe the necessity of writing and reading required by the classes in combination with the free time will be just the right push.

DSC03255In place of writing, I did take a few fun trips.  Before I had found my job, a group of college friends and a few of my home friends and I went camping in the Adirondacks, on Indian Lake.  We had to canoe all of our supplies out to a tiny island offshoot in the middle of the lake.  It was sort of an adventure.  There were mishaps and some rain (or a lot of rain), DSC03284which only added to the feeling of satisfaction coming home.  It was also kind of fun seeing school friends out of school environment.  It’s different with my home friends, because in high school you have the opportunity to see people both in and out of school.  But when you’re at college, you live with them.  And while they may be different between class and weekend downtime, I know I personally feel and act differently (even just marginally) between all time spent at college, and time I spend at home, on breaks and over the summer.

(On the left is my friend Maura, myself, and Kelsey; on the right are college friends Abe, Matt, Angelo, and Jeff).

I later took a brief trip down to Long Beach Island, NJ, where Matt’s family rents a house annually.  I’d never been to that part of the Jersey shore, and it was beautiful.  Throughout the summer, I also made a few trips up to school, to visit my friends that were partaking in the Mellon Summer Research.  They got to live in senior housing, which was fun to get a glimpse of.  Campus was very empty, almost surprisingly so, and because the Mellon students are equipped with kitchens, the dining hall is not frequented, and so I didn’t encounter all the people I normally would have.  It made me view Hogan and Kimball a little differently.  I hadn’t realized how much of a community center part they played.  Of course, I was only up to school on weekends, so weekdays may have been different.

DSC03841Lastly, I went to Martha’s Vineyard, with my Mom, Matt, and my friend Maura (from the picture above of camping).  I used to go every summer when I was a child, but we stopped when my grandma got older.  I decided it was time to resurrect that tradition, or at least revisit the memories.  It was cool to see how much (or how little) I remembered, and see familiar sights that I couldn’t tell if I recognized from memory or photos.

(On left: Acquinnah Cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse, on Martha’s Vineyard)

I probably won’t post again until I arrive at school (it’s only a week after all) so enjoy the rest of your summers, and I’ll check back in soon!  Wish me luck with the miles of unpacking.

Always,

L

Comments are closed.

<< Older Entries
<< Back to Blogs

LiAnn Butterfield '16

| More
Former Blogger