How to Start Planning NOW for a Meaningful Summer

It might seem unusual for students to begin planning for summer while winter boots and heavy coats are still wardrobe staples, but the best summer activities require planning that far in advance! It is never too early to begin planning for a meaningful, enriching summer. This is absolutely not to say that summer isn’t also for relaxing, socializing and other fun hobbies! 

A balance of satisfying curiosity about the world around you while also having fun is what summer is all about. The goal is to become energized by summer activities - and NOT to do things just because they will ‘look good’ on the college application! Keep that in mind as you consider your options. The goal is to stand out - not burn out!

The best summers start with a clear plan. Before conceptualizing world domination, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. What are you most curious to learn more about this year (school-related or not)?

2. What subjects or activities make you lose track of time?

3. When you picture a “dream summer,” what does that look like — hands-on experience, travel, creativity, helping others, etc.?

4. What’s one personal skill or area you’d love to strengthen before college?

The best summer experiences are homegrown and guided by student interest. This is the most important part of planning a meaningful summer.. If, because of external issues (lack of transportation, money or time at home during the summer), you find yourself limited, a homegrown project that shows creativity and initiative are ALWAYS great ideas.

Here are some ideas to get you started: 

Get a Job

Paid employment, whether it is walking dogs in your neighborhood or serving burgers at your local lunch spot, is a great way to show initiative and learn new skills! But, you say, scooping ice-cream isn’t exactly a skill I will need later in life! You may be right, but scooping or burger flipping is not the key skill set here: how about customer service, self-advocacy, conflict resolution, communication, appropriate response to criticism, the ability to take direction, to name just a few soft skills that you will take with you. Trust me, soft skills are required for EVERY job you will ever have, from lifeguard to CEO to every job in between. Summer jobs are more than just resume’ fodder!

If you have an idea what you might like to major in, having a summer job that reinforces that idea is an added bonus. Interested in business? Ask your manager to let you help them with purchasing, accounting or merchandising. Is engineering in your future? Perhaps you can tutor younger students in math. Do you enjoy the arts or teaching? Try for a job at a local summer camp or children’s recreation program. It is a job-seeker’s market right now for these types of jobs, so get out there! You may even learn a bit of money management when deciding whether to spend or save your hard-earned paycheck!

Take a Class

Long ago, summer classes were only for those who did not quite hit the mark during the school year. Not so for today’s college-bound students! Engaging in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Class) is an awesome way to learn more about a topic that interests you. There are tons of beginner-level classes out there that are perfectly reasonable for high-school students to explore. Choose courses that are low or no cost, such as those on Kahn Academy or Coursera.com. These may open your eyes to a possible major and will speak to your intellectual curiosity outside of the classroom. Worst case, you learn what you DON’T want to study in college, which is just as valuable.

Taking classes outside of school will show colleges that you are sincerely curious and can demonstrate a fit to major. A series of online classes can inform a research paper, blog post or capstone project as well.

Volunteering and Community Service

Volunteer and community service work are always a good idea, even if you aren’t applying to college, but dedication to a cause or issue can be a vital part of your high school education and therefore enhance your college application. What colleges like to see here is not necessarily that you have spent x number of hours volunteering, but that the work you did had longevity and impact. Find a cause you care about and look for ways to help! Cleanup a highway, volunteer at your local food bank and organize a drive in your neighborhood, inquire about opportunities at your community of faith. Ask school leadership if there is a project you can do to beautify your school in the summer months (painting? Landscaping? Cleaning?) and get your friends to join in.

Create a Homegrown Project

From ukulele to unicycling, your imagination is the limit when it comes to what you can learn from online instructional videos or doing projects! The sense of pride and accomplishment is amazing, and so is showing off to your friends and family! Take it a step further and blog or vlog about your learning experience! From the college prep perspective, highlighting something fun and unusual on your activities list will help an admissions officer understand the unique person you are! The self-direction it takes to put together a homegrown project is always impressive, and the possibilities are endless. 

When looking for things to learn, the internet doesn’t have to be your instructor. Consider family and friends as resources as well. Is your dad going to help Uncle Ted put a new roof on his house? Go help him! Is your neighbor building a doghouse, installing new lighting or restoring a car? Get in on the project! Does your neighborhood have a community garden? Get collaborating and create one! A little initiative sprinkled with leadership can get you using your skills to better your community.

Visit Colleges

Do you have some schools on your list that are a bit further away from home? Summer is one of the best times to take those longer road trips or plane trips and take a look. Be sure that you have done your research before you go, and if possible, do an organized tour or meet with an admissions officer. Eat in the cafeteria, talk to students, sit in on a class or attend a sporting event. If you have time, really immerse yourself in the campus and town as this is a place you will spend four years of your life and a bunch of your parent’s money.

You may consider trying a summer program at a school you are interested in as well, but be careful. These programs can be expensive and they won’t increase your chances of admissions at that school. That said, if there is a selective program that is very interesting to you, go ahead and apply!

Try for an Internship!

Internships are a bit harder to come by than summer jobs, but they can be very rewarding and to be honest, look GREAT on any activities list. Usually, an internship places a student in a job (paid or unpaid) or industry that they want to someday pursue, often under the supervision of a mentor. The relationships and network a student can create are excellent. (This same advice applies to the college years as well.)

If you haven’t been able to locate an internship through a local company or your school, seek out businesses you are interested in learning from and approach them with an internship proposal! Offer to intern for no pay, and take an interest in learning everything you can during your experience. Again, the people you meet are the beginning of your PROFESSIONAL NETWORK. By proving yourself to be an asset in the workplace, doors may be open to a paid internship or even a job some day!

I know it seems strange to be thinking about your summer plans before we have even enjoyed spring break, but a little planning NOW will be to your advantage, especially when securing summer jobs, internships, or buying plane tickets to visit a campus! Of course there should be a little down-time and vacations, reading for pleasure, and socializing. After all, it’s called a break for a reason. That said, finding growth opportunities such as these during the summer will teach you what you can’t learn in the classroom, and they will demonstrate to colleges that you are tenacious, curious and motivated.

FAQs:

• What is the main goal of planning for summer? The goal is to find meaningful, enriching summer activities that energize you and satisfy your curiosity, not just to do things that look good on a college application. The aim is to stand out, not burn out.

• Is getting a job a valuable summer activity? Yes, paid employment is a great way to show initiative and learn valuable soft skills required for any future job, such as customer service, communication, conflict resolution, and the ability to take direction. If possible, a job related to a potential college major is an added bonus.

• Should I take classes over the summer? Taking classes, such as Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCs) from low or no-cost platforms like Kahn Academy or Coursera.com, can demonstrate intellectual curiosity and help you explore potential college majors. It is valuable even if you learn what you don't want to study.

• How important is volunteering? Dedication to a cause or issue through volunteering and community service can enhance your college application. Colleges look for work that demonstrates longevity and impact, not just a high number of hours.

• What is a "homegrown project"? A homegrown project is a self-directed endeavor, where your imagination is the limit. Examples include learning a new skill (like ukulele or unicycling) from online videos, helping a relative with a construction project (like a roof or doghouse), or creating a community garden. This shows self-direction, creativity, and initiative.

• Are summer programs at colleges worth the cost? Be careful, as these programs can be expensive and generally won't increase your chances of admission at that school. However, if there is a selective program that is highly interesting to you, it may be worth applying. 

• What is the benefit of an internship? Internships look great on an activities list. They place a student in a job or industry they want to pursue, often under a mentor. They are excellent for creating relationships and building a professional network, which can open doors to future opportunities.

For help with this, and all other aspects of planning for a meaningful summer, reach out and schedule a DISCOVERY CALL today! We are eager to help with this and all parts of the college planning process!