With the summer over, it’s that time: back-to-school shopping, waking up early, and getting in the school mindset. However, the only thing that prevented us from losing most of our knowledge over the summer was summer work… Or was it?
Each summer, Fords are faced with summer work for many of their classes. The summer work differs, from short hands-on experiences like finding elements in your home, to long readings like The Kite Runner for English II. These assignments remind you of past topics and help you learn what the new course has to offer.
But, is assigning work over the summer, while students are supposed to be relaxing and recharging, the most efficient way to get students prepared for the school year?
“I most definitely believe that summer work is a critical step in having a successful year,” Fourth Former Ray Kresge said. “It not only keeps your brain engaged in the summer months, but it gives me a sense of confidence on the first day. Part of that was due to it testing me academically. Every subject had its unique challenges associated with it.”
“The summer work did help me become a better student because it gave me a chance to reflect on the past year and my strengths and weaknesses. It helped me improve in areas of my academic career that needed fixing and benefited me tremendously,” Kresge said.
Some of the summer work assigned was new this year. English IV* students, for example, were required to read East of Eden by John Steinbeck. But assignments for some classes have not changed for a long time. This begs the question: Are some summer assignments outdated?
“I think [faculty] make sure the books they choose every year like The Kite Runner are still relevant to today and they ensure that students are challenging themselves by reading books over the summer,” Fourth Former Hugh Willaims said. “Topics like math, language, and chemistry prep will always be relevant, just maybe a tiny bit less effective if the class changed from when the summer work was made until now.”
Kresge agrees.
“I think it prepares me very well. For example, I saw a lot of both progress and review.”
Ray Kresge ’27
“I think it prepares me very well. For example, I saw a lot of both progress and review,” Kresge said. “For a subject like math, it was mostly just algebra, and I reviewed that and some new concepts were introduced. However, I did see progress in my analytical thinking in classes such as history and English. The books challenged my thoughts constantly and allowed me to gain a new sense of understanding for the world around me.”
