25 Ways to Spend Your Summer!

Summer experiences are important, they can expand your knowledge, teach you new skills, provide opportunities to challenge yourself and may help you identify and define your path. Sometimes they can be free, sometimes they will allow you to earn money, and some will require a fee.  The most important factor when choosing a summer experience is how much will it benefit you, in regard to growth, skills, and earning income, either now or later.

So, get a job, volunteer in your community, take some classes in an area of interest, travel with your family, learn a new skill, or try something that challenges you.  Colleges don’t care if you spend the summer at Stanford or working at your local supermarket. They care that you have experiences outside of yourself where you are learning and gaining new insights. Spend your summers doing things that you are interested in, don’t volunteer, apply to a summer program, or do an activity because you think that’s what admissions officers want to see, have an experience because it will help you in your life and it is something that you enjoy and will learn from.

Devising a summer plan that is unique to you is much more interesting and impactful.  It allows you to see how you are different.  Many students attend summer programs and have experiences that are the same as the other 100 students participating. That doesn’t help you stand out in a crowd.  So if you attend an organized program, make sure you love the topic, and then follow-up with unique activities when you return home.

If you are applying to summer programs you may need to complete an essay, ask for letters of recommendation and possibly send transcripts. When deciding on formal programs you might ask yourself some of these questions:

1.     How much time do I have for a summer program? 

2.     Do I have other summer commitments that I need to work around? Sports, Family Vacations, Work, etc.

3.     What’s my budget?  How much can I afford?  Do I need financial assistance?  Some summer programs offer scholarships.  Remember, you don’t need to bust the budget to gain new experiences.  If going away or attending a formal program is too expensive, don’t do it.  Stay in your community and gain new experiences.

4.     Ask yourself why you want to attend or what you hope to accomplish.

Here are some other ideas to get you started:

1. Take a cooking class

2. Are a Girl Scout? Work on your Gold Award

3. Help coach a sports team

4. Teach yourself code.

5. Are you an Eagle Scout? Work on your Eagle Award.

6. If you are an athlete you may not have time for much more than practice, tournaments, and showcases.  Find small pieces of time to have experiences. Go hiking, visit museums, read, etc.

7. Shadow a doctor, a teacher, an engineer, a business person, etc.

8. Volunteer at an animal shelter or anywhere!

9. Intern with a local company you admire

10. Start a website

11. Share your love of reading and volunteer at the local library

12. Make some college visits

13. Start a book club

14. Organize a fundraiser

15. Attend a leadership program

16. Find activities, summer programs, classes, or experiences that focus on your area of interest

17. Start a garden in your backyard

18. Study/Learn or improve your foreign language skills

19. Read as many books as possible

20. Teach yourself how to play a musical instrument

21. Take an art class

22. Become certified in something, EMT, Red Cross, Lifeguard, Coding, etc.

23. Volunteer to teach art classes at a summer camp for kids with special needs

24. Train for and run a half marathon

25. Get a Part-Time Job

I think you get the picture! Now go and enjoy your summer. If you need help planing, contact me!