<p>Anybody? Or are you enjoying it? I'm that type of guy who just needs to be doing something or else I will go crazy. I've been reading books, exercising, binge watching television shows to keep myself occupied, but the lack of studying and stress that I used to experience during the semester worries me since I'm not pushing/using my brain constantly like I used to. </p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I love to relax and not have to worry about assignments, exams, etc., but I feel bad at the same time because I think that not using your brain intensively for an extensive amount of time will worsen your memory, intelligence, cognitive thinking, etc. and that by the time I start Fall Quarter at the UC, my brain will be in bad shape and I'll have a hard time in my classes.....</p>
<p>Anybody feel the same? Anybody know if this is true?! Lol</p>
<p>I once heard of a study that indicated that children who go to elementary school lose a few IQ points during the summer because they’re on break and not learning new things. People our age probably experience the same loss of IQ points when not in school. It was just one study, though.</p>
<p>I won’t lie…I’ve been enjoying my summer…a little too much. I’ll put an end to that and begin extensive reading soon so that intellectually, I’ll be in good shape to start taking upper-division courses in my major, philosophy. Fortunately, I’ve bought several books for the summer that will help me achieve this goal. </p>
<p>~1,500 pages of philosophy to read over approximately 90 days. I will become Plato by the time I’m finished, haha</p>
<p>I’m currently sitting in on a biological psychology class that’s using the same textbook as the class I’m taking in the fall. Also being a teacher’s assistant helping with research for the school’s psych department.</p>
<p>@Cayton Haha, same. I ordered a textbook off of Amazon related to the course I’ll be taking at UCI. Unfortunately, I haven’t even touched the book yet but plan to at the very latest before August. 1500 pages?! Wow, props to you if you manage to be consistent with your reading!</p>
<p>@calbro Nice. Jealous of you since you’re being productive, learning new things, and building your resume. An ideal summer that I want if only I could…although I plan on doing something similar or even more for sure next summer.</p>
<p>@CollegeDropout1 Lol, I’m not complaining about my summer, just would want to be doing something that would benefit me in the future. Right now I’m literally just passing time by and watching the calendar until September hits so I could have something to do/worry about. Maybe I’m just crazy about not being productive during the summer…haha</p>
<p>@CSB111 So I presume you’re just watching the clock tick until instruction begins too? I totally agree, summer right now is pretty ■■■■■■. It’s only enjoyable for about two weeks to recuperate and relieve the stress but after that you WANT to get back to the daily routine. Haha</p>
<p>@calbro Are you considering graduate school right after you graduate as an undergraduate? Geez, I hope you’re not neglecting tuition and more school payments because if it were me, I would wait at least another 4 years before I even considered graduate school just to boost my salary, Lol. It seems like you got the rest of the 2 years planned to the very nail. Good luck getting the classes you need and have fun applying again for grad school!</p>
<p>I will do well. I’ve been listening to lectures by the professors I want to take, looking up reviews, and I’m continuing to learn. I believe in myself :).</p>
<p>Are you seeking a Ph. D.? Or just a Master’s? Plans after grad school?</p>
<p>I think you’re in a better position, by the way, to get into a good grad school since you’ve stated yourself that you’re assisting in research and since you’re going to a school that offers many research opportunities.</p>
<p>But I have to warn you now that since you’re going to Berkeley for your undergrad, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be accepted to their grad program, if you’re aiming for that. Many graduate schools don’t like taking in students who studied the subject they wish to get a graduate degree in the same school. If you got a B.A. in political science at Berkeley and wish to get a doctorate in that discipline, for example, you’ll almost certainly be rejected by Berkeley’s political science department right off the bat. </p>
<p>No. I’m enjoying my time off with family/friend interaction and video games. There is no reason I should stress myself during the only time I have off. </p>
<p>@Cayton Yeah, I just want to get experience because I know I’ll need it. Other than this summer thing, I did a poster presentation at UC Irvine for the Honors Transfer Council of California (wish I did an actual presentation) and something small for the Research Methods class I took. </p>
1500 pages?! Wow, props to you if you manage to be consistent with your reading!</p>