[Campus Commentary]Vacations are golden ― take them!

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[Campus Commentary]Vacations are golden ― take them!

Most colleges are already on a vacation that will stretch almost three months. For college students, vacation is a golden time, because it’s a period that usually has a significant meaning.
People usually long to go back to times when they were happiest, and for many it’s their campus days, particularly vacations, that people want to relive.
These days, college students refuse to pass their time idly and leave nothing behind, thinking they will be sorry for the follies of their youth.
What that means is that vacation is no longer a time for relaxation, but for several reasons a strategic time to get ready for employment.
Some students push themselves to take Toeic or Toefl language tests, qualify for certificates, or sit for state examinations.
They take courses to add to their credentials for employment. Other students go on internships, tours, render volunteer service or take on part-time jobs.
In a survey I did for the news magazine at Sookmyung, I asked 100 university students about their vacation plans for the last winter break.
Their answers included internships, preparing for certification, training abroad, travelling and studying a language. While seniors were focused mainly on preparing for employment and graduation, other students concentrated on finding a part-time job.
The results of the survey differed for each year in college, but everyone’s common interest was language study.
This summer, I chose to take a real vacation. I had trouble deciding between various activities I could do and studying English, but my mentor said to me, “Above all, go traveling on your vacation time. I’m convinced that [experience] becomes an asset and makes you more special.”
So recently I made a reservation for a trip to Bangkok. I look forward to going. People usually say, “A tour is a way to seek yourself.”
The book “Ping,” written by Stuart Avery Gold, impressed me with its message. In the book, the author says, “There are always two journeys you must take to discover the Way: one to lose yourself and one to find yourself.” I hope my tour will not be just traveling, but discovering myself and pursuing a vision. Through the tour, I expect to be able to discover my mature self and have an opportunity to face challenges in a strange place.
This is the first time that I am flying away to enjoy a real vacation. I have prepared a lot of plans. There are many things that I want to do.
Such excitement leads me to think about the importance of balancing what I should do and what I want to do, which is very difficult for everyone. In my case, I feel that going on a vacation is what I should do, although many students consider it as what they want to do.
The book “Be Your Personal Best” did a lot to help me decide. It tells you to follow what your heart wants. Regardless of what it is, consider why we are doing this work and whether it is what you desire. The author, Stuart Avery Gold, said, “To see where you need to go, you need only to go inside yourself, clearing away the confusion of your mind so it can hear the promptings of your own heart.”

*The writer is the culture editor of The Sookmyung Times at Sookmyung Women’s University.

by Yun Ji-hye
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