<p>Well there's about 1 more month until Sept. when school starts. But, I need some help because I don't want to waste my summer not doing anything but reading/working so I was wonder if any of you had suggestions on extracurricular activities or anything to do with arts that I could do before school starts? I want to expand my knowledge and talents in the art area, the part of arts which I really love are Dramatic Arts/Creative Writing/or singing. I would even do something in Psychology. I just need something! Thanks so much.</p>
<p>same here... i would like an answer. something that suits a canadian, cuz canadians dont get much opportunities:(</p>
<p>opportunities abound. you just have to actively look for them.</p>
<p>(this coming from someone from a rural community)</p>
<p>Opportunities don't fall into your lap. You have to think about what you like to do or would enjoy trying out, then you have to use your energy and creativity to find or organize such an activity.</p>
<p>The starting point should be your interests --not looking for something to impress Harvard. Frankly, what impresses colleges like Harvard is when students assertively pursue their own interests. People who lack interests or who are too passive or uncreative to find something to do aren't the type of people who'd be happy at a place like Havard, which opens the world to you, but you have to have the enthusiasm and guts to take advantage of it. No one there will take you by the hand and lead you along.</p>
<p>i was speaking relative to america where the school actually make their students aware of these opportunities, whereas in canada, the teachers couldnt care less if u went to a community college</p>
<p>In the US, teachers and schools aren't spending a lot of time letting students know about things they can do over the summer. The students who do the best summer activities tend to be students who found or created those activities for themselves because of their own strong interests.</p>
<p>Regardless of what country or area one lives in, there always are things that you can pursue if you are very interested in a subject and have the energy and creativity to pursue it. </p>
<p>Places like Harvard aren't impressed by students who did things because their parents or schools handed them opportunities. The students who are the most impressive are the ones who pursued their own interests and made opportunities for themselves. The bigger the challenge that they overcame as they created and found opportunities, the more impressed colleges will be.</p>
<p>yeah i guess thats true</p>
<p>That is true. Thanks. I'm going to do something I love, thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Northstarmom is right. But don't feel that you have to be constantly involved 24/7/365. You need part of your summer to relax.</p>
<p>True that most people also need time to hang out with friends, etc. , and that's a good thing to do.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, though, that for most people who are pursuing their passion, doing that is relaxing even if that activity would bore others or would feel like hard work to them.. If pursuing your EC over the summer feels like work, then you're not pursuinig something that you really like.</p>
<p>True, I recently volunteered for a organization called Youth Assisting Youth program that allows us to play as a mentor and friend to kids at risk ages 6-15. i'm really excited and happy about it because I really want to help kids and serve as an older friend. I'm also going to enter writing contests this year, and do another school play. Things I really love. Do you have to have a particular passion in your application? Why if you love doing 3 things?</p>
<p>No, that's kind of ridiculous to say that "pursuing one's passion" is the same as relaxing. You can enjoy what you're doing, but if you're working hard at it, it's still hard work. For most people, relaxation is a different thing. This aversion to enjoying free time, life, friends, summer, etc. is just another symptom of the college application mania displayed so abundantly on this message board.</p>