Summer Camps Offer Exploration
While your student may look forward to summer break as a time to relax, lazy days may be a thing of the past. Summer break is a great time to explore college campuses and career options through summer camps.
Why It Matters
- Learn to live in a community.
The residence hall experience often takes new college students by surprise. Sharing a small space with a stranger and waiting for a communal shower over a week or two will provide valuable interpersonal skills. - Get a feel for a career or major.
It’s difficult to know what different jobs are even available, much less what they are actually like, without a little experience. Summer camps or projects related to careers can shed a little light into the void.
What Your Student Can Do Now
- Investigate summertime options now.
Many colleges and organizations offer summer camps ranging from theater and sports to engineering and robotics. College programs give students the opportunity to get a taste of living on a college campus with other students. Costs, length of program and activities vary, so some research is necessary, and now is the best time to research as program information becomes available. Be sure to pay attention to registration deadlines.
What Your Student Can Do Later
- Make the most of the opportunity.
If your student is at camp or class on a college campus, whether close to or far from home, it’s an opportunity to decide whether or not the type of campus is appealing. The time will eventually come to make a decision as to where to apply, and your student can begin thinking about the benefits and disadvantages of campus size, location and facilities. - Keep an open mind.
Caution your student that a summer experience isn’t exactly what full-time students at a particular campus may see. Class offerings, number and types of students, teaching staff and weather may all be different during the regular academic year. - Build on lessons learned.
Your student should evaluate whether summer activities provided useful lessons on the desirability of a particular path or career. Then, consider the next step to continue to build on those experiences or explore in a different direction.
What You Can Do
- Provide ideas.
Be on the lookout for summer options that may set the foundation for classes and careers your student may consider for the future. This is a good opportunity for you and your student to learn what a specific job or major will actually entail day to day. - Explore payment options.
Work with your student to look into any costs and how to pay them. Some summer experiences may offer scholarships or reduced fees based on family circumstances. Your student may be able to pick up odd jobs or fund-raise to offset some of the cost. If you participate in a flexible spending account through your employer, determine whether summer camp can be paid using those funds.
Next Steps
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