As the school year winds down, many people are excited for summer to begin. However, of all the seasons, summer is arguably the worst one. In fact, the school year’s longest break should be broken up throughout the year instead.

Summer is the worst season to have a break in. First of all, these are the hottest months of the year, where there is the most incentive to stay inside in the air conditioning. During winter, you can add layers as much as you want to stay warm, but you can only take so many off in summer. It’s also the least visually pleasing, as it lacks the changing leaves, glistening snow, or colorful flowers of the other seasons. Annoying insects also peak during the summer, and no one likes swatting herds of gnats away from their face. For these reasons, it is clear that summer is the worst season for the longest break from school.

However, the main reason why some continue to advocate for summer break is because of vacation. The best time to go to the beach is the summer, and many people love taking their vacations there. This is unfortunate for me, as I have to suffer the grueling heat away from school to allow for beach trips. As a compromise, summer break should be shortened but not removed to maintain vacation time. A couple weeks off in July would still give plenty of time for the beach, while allowing extra time to be taken off school in the fall, winter, and spring.

Furthermore, additional breaks across the school year would allow students to rest and recover more evenly. Academic burnout hits students hard, especially during spring testing. As we all just experienced, there is almost no time off from school from March to May. While some of this is to accommodate PSSAs and Keystone testing, a week off in between them would be greatly appreciated.

In conclusion, while some love summer break, others really don’t. Once shortened, there can be more time for additional breaks in other parts of the year like the spring. Despite its flaws, I hope you have a great summer.