These past few months have been really tough for all of us, some more than others. Whether it has been financial struggles, dealing with isolation and loneliness, COVID-19 sickness, or plain boredom, we have all struggled in our own ways. Stemming from all these struggles has been the cancellation of seemingly every summer program around, leaving  many people with nothing to do this summer. But there are in fact summer opportunities that are available, even during the Coronavirus pandemic. Listed below are various suggestions that you may want to pursue this summer.

Perhaps you could take to learning an instrument this summer. Learning to play music is a great hobby with many benefits. It’s soothing, it’s fun, has various mental health benefits, and it is a skill that can serve you for the rest of your life. For example, you can pick up something like the Ukulele: it’s inexpensive, super fun to play, and one of the easiest instruments out there to learn. On the other hand, if you want more of a challenge and something a bit more traditional, you can pick up the piano or guitar. They are more of an investment but are also very rewarding to learn how to play well. With nothing but time this summer, why not choose to find a wonderful hobby like playing an instrument?

If not an instrument, why not try and apply to some online summer programs? Some are still accepting applications, like Harvard SSP, Tufts Precollege, Cornell College Studies, and many more. These provide more of an academic geared option for your summer and can be equally as enjoyable. You will learn about topics that you’re passionate about from top tier institutions. In fact, before you apply you are allowed to look at the courses offered for that summer, so you can decide where you want to apply based on the courses. Jonathan Pang ’21 said, “the summer is a great opportunity to learn stuff you otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to. It’s an amazing time.” There are even free courses offered on Edx, Coursera, and open learning software from various schools.

If none of the prior options match your interests, just relaxing this summer is fine! Pandemic productivity isn’t a priority, and after all that we’ve been through this year, we deserve a break. 2020 has been a pretty rough year for many of us, and there is no shame at all in taking a well-deserved break to pursue whatever you want to do and rest.

“The summer is a great opportunity to learn stuff you otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to. It’s an amazing time,” said Jonathan Pang ’21.