Help Your Student Have a Productive Summer

While your student may look forward to summer break as a time to relax and avoid anything remotely academic, lazy days may be a thing of the past. This last break before senior year is a great time to explore college and career options and even earn college credit.

Why It Matters

It’s decision time.
Your student will soon need to decide the next step after high school. College admission and scholarship applications may be due as early as this winter. Exploring college and career options now will help your student focus on interests and realistic options.
Get a jump-start on college credits.
Classes at community colleges are often open to high school students and may provide transferrable college credits. These credits can reduce the amount of tuition, fees and room and meal costs that would be paid to a college later.
Prevent academic loss.
Pursuing some academics over the summer can help prevent the slides in academic achievement that can occur during a long break from school.

What Your Student Can Do Now

Investigate options.
Many colleges and organizations offer summer camps ranging from theater and sports to engineering and robotics. These give high school students the opportunity to get a taste of living on a college campus with other students, while also possibly offering college credit. Costs, length of program and activities vary, so some research is necessary.
Talk to the school counselor.
Your student’s counselor can provide more information on how community college fees work for summer classes. It may also be worth a chat with an academic adviser at the community college.
Make a plan for summer.
After deciding which option or options to pursue, your student can set a summer schedule.

What Your Student Can Do Later

Make the most of the opportunity.
Once on college campuses, whether close to or far from home, your student should use the opportunity to decide whether or not the campus is appealing. The time will soon come to make a decision as to where to apply, and your student should spend some time 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, and teaching staff may all be different during the regular academic year.

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.
Be willing to let go.
With high school graduation only a year or so away, sending your student away for a week or more may be hard. But, if your student shows interest and is willing to do the legwork, a summer program can be a trial period for both of you before college.
Encourage exploration.
This is the time for your student to really explore the many varieties of jobs and courses of study available. If your student has indicated an interest in teaching, for example, summer classes and programs can help narrow down whether preschool or college education, or something in between, is most appealing.

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Next Steps

Be sure to complete the survey questions at the end of this article to be entered into the 529 deposit giveaway!

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