Summer Vacation for American College Students

 ( 00:04:10---00:07: 51)DOUG JOHNSON: This week's listener question comes from China. Vera Tang wants to know what college students do during their summer vacation. There is no quick answer to this question. Students spend their summers in many different ways.

Many students work hard at summer jobs. They realize it can be difficult to balance college classes and a job during the school year. Summer is a good time to save up some money. Restaurants, swimming pools, stores and other businesses are always looking for hardworking students.

Nirvana Habash is from San Diego, California. She will be a senior next year at American University in Washington, D.C. She is working three jobs this summer.

NIRVANA HABASH: "I told my parents that I didn't want them to help me with money this summer so the two main jobs, the one on campus and at the environmental consulting firm, are mainly to make money for rent and utilities and all that."

Some students get jobs in the field they hope to enter after college. This is called an internship. Some interns receive money for their work. Other internships are unpaid.  Still, the experience gives students a taste of the world outside of college. Sara Aucker is entering her junior year at American University. She is from Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.  She is working for an organization that helps victims of violence at home.

SARA AUCKER: "Internships are huge. Everyone's just trying to get a feel for what experiences they want and what they want to do in the future."

Other college students choose to take summer classes. Students usually do not take a full set of classes. Instead, they take just one or two. The extra classes can help students to get ahead in their studies.

However, summers are not all work.  Students spend time with friends, go to a movie or take a trip. David Spiegel is from Fort Worth, Texas.  He will be a senior at American University in the fall. He wanted to make the most of his summer vacation.

DAVID SPIEGEL:"My friends and I have made a list of things we want to do over the summer. Different places to travel, to get away to, maybe a beach a few hours away. I'm trying to travel as much as possible and discover the city I've been living in for three years."

More than anything else, summer is a much needed break. College can be stressful. Sometimes doing nothing at all is just what a student needs after studying for final exams. A relaxing day under the summer sun will help students forget all about tests and studying.