No more writing, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks! This is what most kids are thinking as the end of the year approaches; but for me, summer is not a thing entirely without learning. It is a period during which I am free to learn anything I want in any way that I choose, the ultimate school for me. I get more reading done during the summer than during any three months of school, and more importantly, I enjoy what I read and learn.

This is not to say I’m ruling out summer reading lists. I think those are great ideas and have enjoyed myself more than once reading books off those lists. Sometimes you get lucky and read books by chance that are on the lists. For example, I read The Stranger by Albert Camus one summer because I was attracted by the name. Lo and behold the day I got my reading list, that book was already in the basket. For graduating seniors, however, there are no summer reading lists, and with this in mind, I encourage them to create their own. Start a new tradition of reading a minimum number of books each summer that you’re enrolled in a learning institution, because learning doesn’t stop and start after a three-month hiatus. Whether you are traveling or staying put during the summer months, take up the challenge of bettering yourself through any kind of literature. It is a great way to pass time on planes, at pools, on the porch or in the park, and reading enriches your life and absolutely no amount of reading will make you dumber.