Lesson 13: Summer Vacations

Gary North

YESTERDAY'S ASSIGNMENT

Did you speak with the teacher of your killer class, to drop it and take it in summer school?

You want to have a good time next summer. You want to lounge around, watch TV, wander aimlessly, and generally goof off.

Forget about it. No more. Childhood ends now.

An adult goes to work every day, five days a week, eight hours a day, 50 weeks a year. A company owner goes to work five or six days a week, 12 hours a day, 50 weeks a year.

Kids play in summer.

Get used to thinking like as adult. This is crucial for your long-term academic success. The Bible says:

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, 13:11)

It's time to begin making your transition to adulthood.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Summer school allows you to do several things.

1. Take a class, such as typing, that you don't have time for in the school year.

2. Take a make-up class in which you are doing poorly and should drop immediately.

3. Take a make-up class that you flunked or did poorly in, which you could not (or did not) drop.

4. Take a class early, such as algebra II, so you can get into a class where you need it, such as chemistry.

When you are not in a summer school class, you should be doing one of these things:

1. Doing homework.

2. Working full-time.

3. Relaxing after a full 8-hour work day.

You will lose two hours in class, plus two hours of homework. That's for one class. Double this if you take two. That means a full 8-hour day.

If you take a typing class, don't worry about homework.

Note: if you want to type really fast without getting tired, don't learn to type on the standard QWERTY layout. Learn on a Dvorak (ASK) layout. The Dvorak keyboard option is in Microsoft Windows. You can easily select it. Dvorak reduces the movement of your fingers by 90%. No one has set a world speed record on anything but a Dvorak-type keyboard in two generations. For more information, click here:

http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak

For instructional material, visit

You probably had never heard about the Dvorak keyboard layout. There are lots of things you haven't heard of that could be of great service to you. This is true of everyone. That's why the intellectual division of labor is so important.

If you have enough free time -- and you're losing it, fast -- you can surf the Web in search of wonderful new ideas and wonderful obscure solutions. But what most people need most of the time is this: an immediate solution to an immediate problem. That's why the existence of special-interest Web sites is so important. There, you can get specific answers.

When it comes to study techniques and oddball ways to get into college and -- far more important -- out of college with a bachelor's degree, this Web site is unique. Here, you can get specific answers.

Now, what are your specific questions? Start jotting them down. When you have enough of them to make it worth your while to join this site, join this site.

Study for a CLEP exam in the same course as your summer school course. This way, your study time does double work. You will get a higher grade in the course, and you will pass the CLEP with a higher score.

If you pass two CLEP exams for a full year's course, you have just saved your parents (or yourself) the tuition cost of that course. Typical tuition for a state university is $400 per semester credit for in-state residents. Multiply this times six. That's $2,400. Some schools charge more. At an Ivy League university, it's $800 per semester unit.

If you spend three hours a day for 30 days studying for CLEPs, you probably can pass a two-semester CLEP (two CLEPs). If you do this for three months, you can probably pass three one-year college courses by CLEP. Three six- credit hour CLEPS are the equivalent of over half of the freshman year. Do this for two summers, and you will walk into college as a sophomore. You have just saved tuition ($5,000+), room and board ($5,000), and incidentals (????).

There is no job you can get in summer that will pay you after taxes what passing three CLEPs will save you.

Or you can study for one CLEP and work full-time.

GET A JOB

If you decide to get a job, get a job with a local business that isn't a franchise. Your goal is to learn how that kind of business operates. Don't settle for flipping hamburgers unless you are willing to learn all about the franchise.

It's far better to work at some job where you can learn about business. Do the grunt jobs, but keep your eyes open. Take notes. Show up 15 minutes early. Leave 15 minutes after your shift ends. Don't charge for the extra work. When the manager or owner sees that you work really hard, start asking questions about how the business operates. Never work at a job where you aren't able to learn about the business. The extra money isn't worth the time wasted by not getting an education.

If you get a job you can work at during the school year on a part-time basis, that's best.

SUMMARY

Forget about summer vacation. It's time to start converting summer into money.

Go to summer school to make up a class, take a class in advance, or learn a skill like typing.

Study for at least one full-year CLEP. Try to make it two full-year CLEPs.

Get a job if you aren't in summer school. Try to get one that will teach you about running a business. Try to get one where you can work part-time during the school year.

ASSIGNMENT

Find out which courses will be offered next summer. If you're not taking a make-up course, see if there is anything you can take for which there is also a CLEP exam. I recommend U.S. history or English. Better yet, take both, back to back.

Don't forget to lecture to the wall: one page, one class.

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW'S LESSON: Used textbooks

Any time you want to ask me specific questions regarding your plans for college, you can find out where to contact me by clicking this link: Answers.