The Sunday News
Highway to Success, Charles Dube
THE school calendar year comes to an end this week and students are already eagerly looking forward to it. They are justified in being so excited more so getting into the festive season. They have worked very hard this term to pass their end of year examinations. What else do they need, except to forget about books and relax the mind? However, the majority of them have this question in their minds, “Now what am I going to do with all this free time?
Those pupils at junior school are obviously looking forward to playing games. It is opportune time for them to play, run around with friends, get tired and then have a long sleep. It is equally true with students at upper primary school level to junior and secondary school levels to play games that suit their ages. Nowadays many young people watch movies on television and play music as a form of entertainment. This is the time when they hang around with friends.
Some go out to watch movies like in the past before televisions became available in every home. Students used to play various games at youth clubs which were dotted around cities built by local authorities. But most of these facilities have been run down and children find themselves stranded with nowhere decent to go and play. This has led to moral decadency among students whereby they partake in nefarious activities. Today we present positive ways students can stay productive during the school holidays.
In this vein we are aware that some students make an effort to give their students homework such that even when they relax they would still be thinking of making time for that homework. However, the homework should not be too much to take away the freedom of a deserved holiday. Holidays are necessary for the students to at least get some rest. They should not be denied that opportunity. Experts offer a number of activities students should engage in like reflecting on the term gone by.
They should as individuals answer questions like, “What did I do well in the past term or what did I not do well in the past term?” Thirdly, one can ask, what will I do differently in the coming term? Students can set goals for the coming term specifically on what they intend to do. They can watch documentaries on television and since computers are the in thing the can watch educational. You Tube videos where you find channels offering many subjects from sciences to arts subjects.
School holidays are a time to give back and a students can find a cause they care about. Voluntarily they can find a practical way to serve and contribute to the community. In the rural areas if the rains have fallen well they could volunteer to assist orphans or the elderly to till the land. If tilling the land is impractical they could help clean their houses and belongings. In an urban set up there are many children and elderly people’s homes where students help through donations and cleaning. These are just a few notable activities mentioned here but there are many they could engage in.
Taking part in physical activities helps improve physical health. This is a great opportunity to start sleeping well, exercising regularly and eating healthily. It is also the right time when students could probably learn new skills. Some could learn public speaking if they are not yet involved. They could learn cooking including the boys. Some could learn art and drawing depending on the availability of resources. Where age permits some could do driving lessons. They could engage in positive thinking about the future.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with reading a number of books including those for pleasure. You know what, there is nothing wrong to be seen reading a Literature text during the holidays as long as you are following your plan and as stated earlier, you have set goals. In these days of technology try out a lot of things. Build or fix things at home. Fix a broken iron, where resources permit make a dress, fix cupboards or broken chairs. The skills you develop might come in handy in future.
Remember all students can participate in the suggested projects as there is no gender difference in practical subjects.
Where resources permit, visit places of interest like museums or national parks close by. These will make the students more knowledgeable and could feel inspired too. If you cannot afford this do not force matters. You might as well visit relatives who live out of town. The environment in those areas will be a source of inspiration to your writing. There are chances that you might feel bored at some time during the holidays, which is the time to pick up a new hobby like gardening, dancing, or sight-seeing.
High school students can visit a nearby college or university. Colleges or universities are full of youth, passion, and knowledge and potential. They can learn about the courses and programmes offered and get a feel of the campus culture and these could give students a vision of their future plans and goals. These are some of the suggested activities students could do during the holidays. They should not attempt to do all these as some might not apply to them. More suggestions will be given in later weeks.
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