Hurry! Start Making These Summer Plans Now!

Throughout most of the year you’ll have a difficult time planning activities with friends or taking on new responsibilities that suck time away from schoolwork.

That’s why summer is such a great opportunity for teen internships, travel and community service.

You’ve got three months when there are no papers due, no tests to study for, and no commute to school every day.

You’ve got lots of freedom, but that means you need to use the time well. Many of my friends wasted their summers away doing little more that hanging out at the mall and playing video games. The problem was always the same. They had lots of opportunities for something more exciting but they waited too long to plan out what they wanted to do. Summer came, summer went, and they missed the opportunities

So, hurry. It’s already getting late to plan your summer.

Here are a few things you might have been considering for this summer that require you to start planning immediately!

1. A big trip.

Want to travel abroad or in the States this summer? There are many, many exciting summer programs for teens both here and abroad, but you’ve got to plan now out where and when you want to go. Many of these summer programs have lengthy application processes and fill up early. If you see a program you like, it’s not even too early to plan (and start saving) for next summer

Also, plane flights get more expensive the longer you wait. The difference between buying a plane ticket four months in advance vs. one month can be shocking, especially if you’re going to a different continent. Planning early can easily save you hundreds of dollars that can go towards activities once you get there.

2. Community service and internships.

If you wait until school is out to apply for summer internships for teenagers or that community service job at the animal shelter, you’re likely to miss out entirely. Application processes take longer than you might expect and you may need to apply early just to give the paperwork and even background checks time to be read and approved by the right people.

If a position looks like a good opportunity, you probably won’t be the only person applying. If you’re the 30th resume or application in the stack, your chances of getting in are much lower than if you were one of the first to apply.

3. A new hobby or sport.

If you wait until the beginning of summer to start looking for something to fill your time, then you’ll probably just follow the path of least resistance – video games, YouTube, or SnapChat.

If you want to pick up an activity like surfing of camping, you look into what it will take to get started (necessary gear, skills, etc.) so that you’re ready when summer comes around or you can apply to a speciality summer camp for teens. For example, learning to surf requires picking the right board, board wax, and instructor to help you learn. Camping requires more than just a tent, and you may even need to start saving money now in order to purchase the gear!

Waiting will just mean that the arrival of summer will leave you with a massive time-vacuum that will be filled by whatever mindless activity is closest at hand.

[Looking for more info from the TeenLife Experts? Here's 3 reasons your teen REALLY needs to earn money this summer!]