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Natalia Lazareva
Summertime, and the livin’ is… not always easy for American students [0] - 13.07.2025
While for many students all over the world, summer vacations are just a nice opportunity to relax and forget about tiresome studies, some young people get busy with various activities. Let us find out how the students on the other side of the globe spend the summer. Summer classes
Those American students who strive after knowledge, and do not want to interrupt the education process for the summer, colleges offer a wide range of summer classes: chemistry, biology, math, history, economics, etc. Most of them are available during the regular semester as well. Summer classes are a wonderful opportunity to keep on track for graduation, as well as to master the subjects you feel weak in. Summer classes often come with smaller class sizes and more support from the instructor.
Mike, 20, the student of Kean University, New Jersey, is engaged in the 7-week-long biology class at Middlesex County College, which goes in the mornings through Monday to Thursday. The lessons are divided into lecture and lab classes.”I like the lab better because it's a lot more fun than listening to a three-hour lecture. We do different kinds of experiments in the lab. This week we are doing genetics experiments with fruit flies”, says Mike.
Part-time jobs
A great number of American students get a part-time job after school ends. Some of them work in movie theatres during their vacations; others become waiters and shop assistants. No one said that part-time job is boring; it is creative and exciting sometimes.
Above-mentioned Mike is occupied with the ambulance work on a voluntary basis at night or on the weekends. Mike treats his work responsibly: instead of required 6 hours, he volunteers about 18 hours a week! As a part of his duties, he responds to emergency medical calls made to 911 in his town (Woodbridge, Colonia, New Jersey) or in other towns, if their ambulances are busy at other calls.Before each shift starts, Mike has to check the ambulance to make sure each one is fully stocked. After such an experience, it is easier to get a part-time paid ambulance job with a decent wage: more than $10 per hour. “That's very good for a student. It's very difficult to find a part-time job for students here paying more than $10 an hour”, smiles Mike.
Holly, 18, the student of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, performs in a theater group called Plays in the Park every summer. As long as it does not rain, Holly and other high school students participate in performances in Roosevelt Park (Edison, New Jersey) in front of interested citizens. Various plays and Broadway-style musicals are so captivating, that all 150 seats are usually sold out. Holly played Cinderella in "Cinderella" and Belle from "Beauty and the Beast". Her work takes a lot of zeal and dedication, as the actors have to rehearse every day during the summer. It also bears mentioning that many of the performers who got their start at Plays in the Park have gone on to successful professional careers. It may happen that we will see Holly in some Hollywood movie some day!
Plays-in-the-Park theatre group requires not only actors, each summer it employs a staff of artisans and technicians to work the various theatrical disciplines: costume artists, sound and light technicians, carpenters, and many others. It is a nice pastime, great experience and the opportunity to earn some money.
Internships and International Programs
An internship is an arrangement in which a college student gets a chance to work at a company and gain real-world experience before they actually become employed. As internships they take place during the summer, they do not interfere with classes. The main benefit to young people is that they get experience that they would not get at the university. Moreover, it is easier for students to get a job when they graduate from their college, as they get a chance to impress the company (usually a large one) during their summer work. Let us say a student is studying broadcast journalism at the university and hopes to work for a TV station as a newscaster when he/she graduates. The student can get an internship at a TV station over the summer and not only learn how things work at a real company, but also meet important people who can help them get a job later on.
Dasha, 20, a girl with a Russian background, works at a fashion magazine in New York City as an intern. She writes fashion articles and works with other writers and editors. She also volunteers with a company that helps downtrodden women get jobs.
Usually internships are intended for students in their third or fourth year of college. It is a real world experience related to career goals and interests, which can be a deciding factor in a future career choice.
Moreover, various schools and organizations have international programs available to high school students during the summer: travel/study programs or work camps abroad. For example, Academis Study Associates (www.asaprograms.com), which have been running summer academic programs for high school students for 25 years, has programs in England, Spain, France, Italy, and many other countries.
As for Mike, he is not about to stop with the part-time ambulance job. He is planning to become a substitute teacher in September when the school reopens. He already had his interview in June, but it is just one step to getting the job. Thankfully, the last one. “Becoming a substitute teacher is actually a long process. First, you have to finish two years of college. Next, you have to get a background check to make sure you're not a criminal, then you apply for the certificate. After you get the certificate, then you apply to the town's school board. They set up the interview, and then finally you get hired”. However, it is a good job, once you go through the process. The average wage of the substitute teacher in New Jearsey is about $90 for one seven-hour school day (about $13 per hour). This is the price for 622-page Russian – English and English – Russian dictionary (according to www.allbookstores.com/) or about 4 kg of apples in the nearby store. Not bad after all!
Natalia Lazareva
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