Here Comes Summer: Make It Meaningful

Dr. R. Fred Zuker is a featured monthly columnist in the Education section of The Jackson Sun

Here Comes Summer: Make It Meaningful

Spring is the harbinger of summer and already students are marking the days until the end of the academic year. Parents are understandably nervous about what will happen during those long, hot days and hoping for ideas to help them plan a meaningful vacation period for their students.

Summer is a time of opportunity for college-bound students and students in general. It is a time to earn some money for education or other special purposes. It is an opportunity to gain experience, intellectual or personal that will increase a student’s awareness, improve their skills in specific areas or gain greater insight about themselves and their goals. Early spring is a good time to begin the planning necessary to make such experiences possible.

To work or not to work

Summer jobs can offer a student an important source of income but they can also provide significant opportunities for growth experiences. Any job will require that a student be self-disciplined and motivated. From the fast food assembly line to a lawn care business summer workers with the right attitude about the job will learn that they actually enjoy the rigors of the work place and the satisfaction of doing a job well. Our oldest daughter’s first job was in a small gift shop. She did a good job at first but quickly became an avid employee when she discovered that repeat customers came into the shop and asked to be served by “the young one.” That job gave her a sense of self-worth that she never forgot.

Now is a good time to begin looking for job opportunities that are appropriate for the student’s age, interest and maturity. At the college-level the office of career planning will have listings for summer employment complete with applications, starting dates, salary, benefits and other special requirements. High school students may use the Internet to scan for job opportunities, consider seasonal employment such as life-guarding (if the student is properly trained and certified), lawn care, amusement or theme park venues, movie theaters and so on generally take on more help in the summer to help with the larger volume of clients.

Summer camp or similar type opportunities give the young employees a chance to earn money and also experience the joys and frustrations of working with campers and adjusting to the needs of an often demanding and challenging clientele. Camps begin putting together their summer staffs early in the spring so timing is important. Church-related or other proprietary campus often prefer junior or senior high school students or college-age workers, especially for managerial positions. Students who have experience as a camper or with camp work will be preferred in most cases.

In every instance of seeking employment be sure and put together a good resume listing your educational level, schools attended, academic and extracurricular honors, work experience and list three references, a teacher, former employer should be two of your references if possible.

To School or Not to School

Some students will be required to attend summer school because they wish to accelerate their academic progress or repair a deficiency. In either case make sure the summer courses you intend to take will provide you the course content and credit hours you need to achieve your goal. The only way to ensure that the summer work meets the requirements is to talk with your counselor or registrar before enrolling in the course. Many students have mistakenly taken courses they thought would satisfy academic requirements only to learn after the fact that they took the wrong course or not enough hours or the course was unacceptable for other reasons. These matters are easily addressed before the class begins but don’t wait too long because some summer courses will close if oversubscribed or not be offered if there is insufficient interest.

There are many other school opportunities offered during the summer. Many colleges offer programs for younger students to take college-level courses in summer school. Qualified high school students are able to begin building their college credits through summer school. There are also enrichment programs offered that are not for course credit, test preparation courses for the SATI or the ACT are examples of some of these programs. Some of the top prep schools in the country offer residential summer programs that add to the luster of the transcript when reviewed by the college admission office.

Summer programs offer a myriad of opportunities in a vast array of subject areas. Parents and potential students should do their homework and ask about the content of the programs, the instructional staff, prerequisite courses, be careful of hidden costs for travel, books supplies, on-site travel expenses and so on. Talking to the parents of students who have taken these programs is an excellent way to determine if the program delivers what is promised and if it is right for your student.

To Travel or Not to Travel

Summer is an excellent time to travel and there are many summer travel opportunities for students. Travel abroad is an excellent way to learn the language, history and culture of another land. These programs abound and can include extensive travel with less academic component or have a heavier emphasis on studies and less tourism. Read the program brochures and study the web sites carefully. If there is academic credit involved determine if the credit is offered through a fully accredited academic institution and also look into who actually delivers the instruction and provides the logistical, travel, lodging, food and tourism services.

In this age questions of security are also important. Ask how much supervision there is and find out the exact itinerary of the program and how much, if any, free time participants may have to travel on their own. A little more research before putting down a deposit to hold a spot may save a lot of disappointment and frustration later on. These programs are often quite expensive and will offer refunds only up to a certain time and should a guarantee of return of deposit before the deadline and if the trip is cancelled. You may also be able to purchase insurance for the cost of the trip in the event that you have to cancel at the last minute. This will protect your investment.

Tips for the Summer Bound Parent

• Begin early to plan for summer options.
• Summer employment opportunities will go to those who apply early.
• Prospective summer employees should have a detailed resume and a cover letter.
• Check with potential references early to ensure that they are willing to give a good recommendation.
• Summer school courses should meet all the requirements of the student’s academic needs.
• Check with faculty adviser or registrar to make sure that you will receive the academic credit you need.
• Before committing to a summer travel program do the research to make sure that the program is well established, offers the combination of travel, tourism and academics that you want.
• Summer students should keep a journal of their experiences. This is an excellent writing exercise and will be essay material for high school students when they apply for admission to college.

Summer can be a time of rewarding academic and personal experiences for the students who carefully plan for the season. Parents can play a key role in helping students make informed decisions about how best to spend their summer days. If good choices are made the summer will pass like a blur with good memories and meaningful, useful experiences to review when the seasons turn and the new school year beckons.

R. Fred Zuker, Ph.D.
Lambuth University