It’s Summer Now What?

So it’s been a minute since my first post, but now that it’s summer, I have way more time on my hands to do the things I love such as writing. So you may wonder: What is a college student’s summer like? Well I’m glad you asked!

Every May I pack up from Howard and I make the trip back to Brooklyn. From then, the summer begins until its time to go back in August. This is the most anticipated time of the year for me because it means a nice break away from school work and all the stress that comes with it.  But eventually the chillin must be accompanied with some form of productivity.

Now that I’m older, I can’t join summer camps and go on trips to the park, museums, and do arts & crafts during the summer like I used to do when I was younger.  However, there are other fun ways for me to keep myself busy during the summer.

Working a summer job at a clothing store may not seem all that fun, but there are other things one can do to be active during the summer. I love magazines and writing and I was able to obtain an internship at Honeymag.com. Here is some advice so you can find that perfect summer opportunity.

1) Find opportunities that match your talents or hobbies- Doing things that you love to do, won’t seem like work because you have an interest in it.

2) Once you figure out what you like, use the internet to research opportunities- Google is a great search engine to use.

3) Ask your guidance counselors, teachers, family members, and others if they know any opportunities.- You never know, these people have connections in the community and may have an opportunity for you.

4) Follow through! – Make sure you take advantage of any opportunity you may come across. Don’t be afraid of a new experience or challenge, you never know what it may bring.

Here are some ideas:

Volunteer- Helping out in your community is a great way to build your resume.

Internships- Some are paid, some are not but they give you real world job experience while still being a student.

Camp Counselors- If you like younger children and don’t want to be inside all summer, this is the perfect opportunitity for you.

Explore!- Visit places in your city that you never visited or have not been to in a long time! Take advantage and learn something new about where you live.

Start your own business- Think of something that you think people may need and start your own business. You don’t have to be an adult to do it.

Helpful Links:

All Stars Project- http://www.allstars.org/content/youth_programs_application_2008.pdf

College Now- Free College Courses for High School Students -http://collegenow.cuny.edu/

New Youth Connections Summer Journalism Workshop for HS Students- http://www.youthcomm.org/PDF/NYC-Summer2009-app-web.pdf

HighFive- Discount Tickets for Plays and Museums in the city-http://www.highfivetix.org/Aspx/AboutHigh5/Default.aspx-

-Natelegé Whaley