As the school year kicks off once again, our minds roll back to stress-inducing homework, tests, projects and other assignments. The summertime should not be forgotten, though. So how did Guilford students spend their dog days?

“Over the summer, I slept a lot, and it was great,” said sophomore Amelia Wellman. “I also got to try my hand at wedding and event planning and helped coordinate three of them. At the end of my summer, I went on vacation to Myrtle Beach for a couple days.”

Much like Amelia, many students worked through the summer. College is expensive, after all. However, because some students were able to travel around, these jobs were a little more interesting than flipping burgers or working at the checkout.

“I worked as a lifeguard very late in the evenings on most days,” said sophomore Olivia Winder. “And every time I guarded, it seemed like I had to jump in and save a little kid from drowning because they couldn’t swim very well.”

Others decided to use their skills to do odd jobs around their city.

“I worked as a handyman in Georgia,” said sophomore Fawad Walizai. “I enjoyed painting people’s houses, fixing flooring and repairing decks.”

Guilfordians also had more time to focus on their hobbies and interests and join some volunteering efforts.

“I went to West Virginia on a short service trip,” said sophomore Allison Eigsti. “There, we helped rehabilitate a home for a low-income family.”

And who could forget traveling? Students visited places all around North Carolina, the United States and beyond.

“During the summer, I went to Asheville, and worked as a camp counselor at Camp Daniel Boone, a boy scout camp,” said sophomore Kaled Atchabao. “I first worked in the kitchen, but I didn’t like the position, so I asked to be transferred and ended up working as a counselor. We made sure the kids were safe and had a good time.”

Some students travelled up and down the country.

“This summer, I mainly worked in D.C. at a pet store, but I did get a chance to travel to a couple of places,” said Eigsti. “I went up to New Hampshire with a couple of high school friends to spend some time together before college.”

Others decided to test their fates against the world. Guilford College Study Abroad sent students to Alicante, Spain; Osaka, Japan and Rhotia, Tanzania.

“Alicante is in southern Spain,” said Director of Study Abroad and International Student Advisor Daniel Diaz. “Students can go to Alicante for five weeks in the summer, live with host families (and) take classes at the University of Alicante.”

To the East, students had a more fast-paced approach to learning.

“We had a student go to Kansai Gaidai University, right outside of Osaka, Japan,” said Assistant Director of Study Abroad Robert J. Van Pelt. “That student was doing a ‘crash course in Japanese,’ a five-week intensive language and culture program.”

Not everyone travelled, however. Many students chose to take classes at Guilford College instead. Some interesting courses included Digital Graphic Design, African Culture in Films, Sustainable Agriculture Practicum and Masterpieces of the Cinema.

Early College students also had a blast away from classes.

“This summer was a career defining experience for me,” said Early College senior Varun Nair. “I was able to conduct neuroscience research at Duke University, and I got to ride a train every day, which was awesome.”

Outside of classes, the campus featured activities like farming, Bonner service learning and Theater Department plays.

The Guilford community enjoyed a variety of different activities, ranging from adventures to jobs, over the last three months. It is important to remember that although the summer is almost over, there is always time to enjoy yourself and have fun.

As Anton Chekhov once said, “People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.”