Read. Eat. Sleep. Volunteer. Study. Worry about the future. It sounds like my summer vacation. There are no real breaks from school, because schools always assign homework. Perhaps if we’re good they’ll assign us a book about people having fun. Past generations of students spent their summer vacations having adventures – the stuff we only now know of through books and movies. The truth is, however, is that if we want to compete in a global economy, we have to be the most educated. On the other hand, I argue that having adventures is the key to a well-rounded education.

Instead of being allowed to discover ourselves through adventures like those described in Adventureland, Driving Lessons, or A Corner of the Universe, we are bombarded with schoolwork. I would love to take up a job at a theme park for the summer and make a fun experience a life-changing one. I would love to spend my time helping an elderly lady with her house, only to find meaning in my own life. But, to be honest, the world that once was, simply isn’t.

To have an adventure, I need a change of pace. My big city has pretty much nothing for teens to do. People long for what they don’t have: I long to live a small town where everyone knows each other and where the possibilities are somewhat endless. Perhaps such a place is only imaginary, and I for one do not have time to go on a road trip to find out.

Colleges look for what sets one individual apart from another (at least that’s what I got from watching 21). We (teenagers) are always being forced to consider our futures (not necessarily a bad thing), but we are not given time to understand ourselves and find our passions. Not only are we having to mature quickly, but also we are only presented with negatives from both sides of the spectrum – we must have the demeanor of an adult, but we do not have the freedom; we have the work of a child, but no play time. What I write about is only what I wish for. A world where kids can just be kids, without the worries of school for at least PART of the year, is probably my favorite topic.

---Sahifah Ansari---