The summer break after the matura exam is probably the longest period of rest a person experiences in life.
– The only holiday like this in your life – people say. – You have to rest and regain your strength after this exhausting period – they continue. – But spend four months lazing around? That’s out of the question! – they repeat.
The most important thing is to make good use of the summer. What does that mean?
For some high school graduates, this is an entirely new situation. Their first serious resolutions, deadlines (university recruitment), the desire to do a little of everything, and choices that cannot be undone. Not everyone associates this period with idyllic, four-month-long, carefree idleness. There are moments of sadness and fatigue, the kind experienced by someone who finished their final exams only a few days ago.
Some want to spend the holidays working and earn money for university, or simply for themselves and their own needs. Others choose the “golden mean.” They work during one part of the holiday and devote the rest to relaxation. The list of ways to spend this free time is very long, yet many young people cannot fully organise it all. After all, everyone wants to get as much as possible out of this one-of-a-kind holiday. They want rest, money and places to visit. There are moments in life when you cannot chase two hares at once. Making a decision must involve certain costs.
The time has come when telling yourself that life is not a fairy tale is no longer enough. Now you have to get used to it and come to terms with it. However, you should not become depressed, dwell on unsuccessful holiday plans or the tense atmosphere caused by recruitment. That is not the way to success. Success lies in well-being and the joy of entering a new stage of life, considered by many to be the craziest and most enjoyable one.
The right attitude is the foundation of a successful holiday. Perhaps things will not go exactly as planned, but they may later bring many memories of adventures and joy from the time spent. People naturally want to experience and see a great deal, which is why the heart of the matter lies in our attitude. You should not plan every moment and then tick it off with an “OK, I’ve done that.” The holidays are a period of rest, both physical and mental. They cannot be treated as a time in which you must achieve the goals you have set for yourself and blame yourself if you fail to reach them. Planning one’s life is natural, but it must be accompanied by joy and a proper distance from the plan. If something, as people say, “doesn’t work out,” time keeps passing, and of the thousand ideas in your head, there are still nine hundred and ninety-nine left. The key is to draw satisfaction and joy from every moment. Of course, every other high school graduate would like to lie on an exotic beach. People like comfort. Our attitude toward the days ahead therefore matters a great deal.
You can take a job. Although young people are increasingly discovering that this is a complicated matter. There is no point deceiving ourselves: finding suitable work is very difficult. First, there is not much choice or many jobs available. Second, employers increasingly require people to devote the entire holiday period to work (that is, four full months), and young people do not want to do that. As for work at resorts (that is, outside one’s place of residence), it is not always profitable, even when food and accommodation are provided. Today, the easiest way to find employment is through personal connections or occasional contract work, and such opportunities are rare. High school graduates are available, but they still have recruitment deadlines, document submissions and so on. By the time all of this has been dealt with, it is the middle of July, leaving two months (August and September). It is difficult to combine work in September with preparing to leave for university. On this subject, it is worth noting that for general high school graduates, the room for manoeuvre on the labour market is becoming rather narrow (compared with vocational schools), since they have nothing to offer besides a pair of hands and legs. Of course, this does not mean that one can use it as an excuse and give up, but it is an important aspect that definitely makes the job search more difficult for general high school graduates.
The holiday after the matura exam can indeed be called extraordinary. While primary school pupils, lower-secondary school pupils and students in the first two years of high school still have an entire month of classes ahead of them, high school graduates are no longer thinking about getting up for school every day. Everything good passes quickly, so it is worth striving for unforgettable memories, which do not necessarily have to involve exotic beaches in warm countries or five-star hotels. The heart of the matter lies in the mind of a person who must set the right attitude for themselves—preferably a positive one. It is good to wake up every day thinking: another beautiful summer day is just beginning. After all, adjectives such as “interesting,” “successful” and “wonderful,” which can describe this longest holiday period, are relative concepts!
Maciej Rajfur was born on 16 March 1991 in Bolesławiec. He is taking his matura exam this year. He graduated from II Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Bolesławiec, in a humanities-oriented class. His main passions are sport (handball), literature, the history of the Polish People’s Republic and writing various kinds of texts (essays, columns and articles). Maciej is planning to study journalism and social communication. His dream is to work as a journalist.
Maciej Rajfur