What to Do the Summer Before Senior Year

The summer going into your senior year is a very important summer. It allows teens to build up their resumewith different activities while also having some fun with friends.

Internships

Not only do internships look great on a college resume, but they also show teens how “real world” jobs actually work. As an intern myself, it has given me an idea of what I want to do for a job when I get out of college. It has really helped me figure out what I like and what I would want to pursue in college and as an adult.

Volunteering

Volunteering also looks great on a college resume, but there is a lot more to volunteering than just trying to build up your resume. Whether it is taking week long service trips out of state to help rebuild homes or simply just going to a soup kitchen for a day, any volunteering is beneficial. It teaches a sense of responsibility in teens and also develops their social skills.

Volunteering creates important relationships between you and anyone else who shares the same beliefs about giving back to the community. It also allows teens to develop new friendships with other teens they meet at these volunteering trips. But in the end, once the job is done, it gives you a great sense of accomplishment knowing that by taking a few hours out of your day, you have greatly improved someone else’s life.

Jobs

Colleges like to see people who are active in the community and participate in many different activities. They don’t like to see people who play video games and hang out with friends all summer long.

Now don’t get me wrong, it is important that you have free time to enjoy yourself and hang out with friends but it isn’t something that should dominate your entire summer. Jobs are a great way to show colleges that you have a strong sense of responsibility. Getting a job is also a great way to earn some money for the school year. Job opportunities give teens something to do during the day instead of sitting around at home and doing nothing.

Free time and hanging out with friends

Free time and socializing with friends is a necessary part of everyone’s summer as long as you enjoy it in a reasonable amount. With jobs, internships, and/or volunteering comes a certain level of stress. It is important to give yourself a day off every once in a while to limit the stress as much as possible and to catch up with some friends.

Teens also need sleep. During the school year, most teens are up late and waking up early. The summer allows for them to occasionally sleep in and stay in bed all day and to just have a free day to themselves to decompress and get rid of some stress.

College Essay

The college essay is a major part of every soon-to-be high school senior. It is important that you don’t procrastinate on it and get it done as soon as possible. This essay could be one of the most important essays you’ll write in your life, so do your best on it. When writing the essay, avoid cliché topics and try to stay as original as possible. And remember, these college admission officers are reading hundreds of essays a day, so try to make yours unique and don’t hesitate to add a little humor to it.