As I get older, it becomes clearer and clearer that summer vacation is, in fact, no vacation at all.

When I was younger, every kid I knew could not wait until the three-month break that meant freedom. What could be better than spending a fourth of the year lounging around lazily and going outside to enjoy the sunshine? Maybe spending the entire year like that would, but that would come dangerously close to a life of bum-hood.

Starting from high school, however, the answer to “So how was your summer?” is expected to change. No longer can you get away with answers like, “Oh, it was OK. I chilled around the house and hung out with some friends.” If you’re not working, traveling, interning or taking classes, you are boring, at least to most of the world.

It gets worse than being labeled as a bore — being productive over the summer is now key to further schooling and job interviews. If you haven’t racked up a few internships to pad your r√É.√®sum√É.√® by the time the job hunt starts, you better have a really good explanation.

I lament that it has taken me this long to realize that my summers thus far haven’t been utilized to their full potential.

This is not to say that I have spent them alone, withering away while watching reruns of “Family Matters” and “Full House” — even though those shows will always be a personal favorite. I have spent them with friends and family. But while they might have been personally significant, “building strong relations” is simply not an acceptable job or extracurricular activity.

During the school year, it is expected that students will study and make good grades because, obviously, this is the only way to be considered a competitive applicant in anything. Then, when summer comes around, students get the opportunity to take on further challenges outside the classroom, which then allows them to become more well-rounded individuals.

I freely admit that I spent last summer doing nothing concretely productive. I did, however, travel to Seattle and Canada to meet relatives that I have only met once before. It was tons of fun and I would kill to get the chance to repeat my adventures, but doing so would not make me a better applicant. And that’s something I can’t ignore.

Therefore, this summer, I plan to take a course here at Binghamton University. On top of that, I’ll be volunteering at a local hospital. Who knows, maybe when I have the time, I’ll stay in and break open the “Full House: Season 3” DVD. Who says you can’t have both?