Shifting Mindsets Coming Back From Summer

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As the sun begins to set earlier and days become busier, it is clear the school year has started. The beginning of a new academic year calls for change. The seemingly carefree days of the summer appear to be long gone as students’ attentions have been forced to shift. Molly Kaplan ‘26 remembers spending her summer “hanging out with friends and going up to Pine Mountain Lake.” Kaplan now spends her days playing on the JV Volleyball team and doing her best to keep up with her seemingly never-ending school work. Kaplan is not alone in this experience, as many students share this feeling of having to quickly switch over from easygoing days to rigorous schoolwork followed by co-curricular activities. As students return to busy days, it is evident that the transition has been difficult. 

Though many have found it rough to return to school, some students have had an exceptionally seamless transition due to their activity-packed summers. Gabby Gianella ‘26 shares, “I was doing strength and conditioning three times a week and track camps to get ready to get back into sports.” Gianella competed in three sports as a freshman and plans to be part of four teams this year: flag football, cross country, soccer, and track. Similarly, other students also kept busy over the summer by participating in summer camps, internships, and jobs. 

As ND students leave the comfort of their homes and begin to spend most of their time in classrooms, they are forced to leave old habits behind and implement new ones. Eliza Santandrea ‘26 shares, “I read virtually every day during the summer, but now I just don't have the time anymore.” School has required students to make drastic modifications to their everyday schedules. As summer comes to an end, so do many daily rituals that just don’t have a place in the schedule anymore. 

The return to school can be a time of excitement and new beginnings, but it can also be a time of difficulty. Whether students spend their summers busy or more relaxed, it is difficult to know what to expect from a new school year. As many feelings may arise in this moment of transition, it is important to remain self-aware. Eventually, routines will catch on, things will return to a feeling of normality, and before you know it, it will be summer once again.