Making Summer Count

Making Summer Count

Summer is usually a time to relax, no one will argue about that, but it's important for students to make sure that they continue learning while they are on summer vacation. If your child is fortunate enough to have classes, a job or internship that supports his or her educational goals that is great, but if not, here are a few more things they can do to make summer more meaningful. 

Volunteering - There are always plenty of opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people through volunteering. Whether they volunteer on campus or in their hometowns, students should be sure to carefully record their volunteer activity. Doing so will give them easy access to where and when they volunteered when it comes time to update their resumes.

Travel - Whether it's a family vacation or independent travel, as we age, travel becomes more and more about new experiences and learning opportunities. Even weekend getaways to local areas of interest or historical sites can enhance education and broaden students' world views.

Online or independent learning- Not all learning has to be for credit. Although it makes sense for students to take classes required for their degrees, if they can't fit one into their schedule or budget, they may try their hand at free, non-credit classes in either their field of study or another area of interest such as foreign language. Many public libraries offer free classes as well or free access to coding and language learning sites.

Getting fit- If your child gained the Freshman (or Sophomore) 15, summer is a great time to not only get back in shape, but to establish a workout routine that can be maintained once he or she returns to campus. Even 30 minutes of walking or other cardio activity alternated with an equal amount strength and toning can make a huge difference. As they plan their workouts, they should think about how they can maintain the activity when they return to campus in the fall. By now, most students know their fall class schedule and can keep it in mind as they plan their daily workouts, so when they return to campus, they can keep the same routine with little interruption.

Getting "Interview Ready" Over Winter Break

Winter break is a great time to help your student get interview ready. Internship and career fairs are often held in January through March on college campuses, so winter break is a great time to make sure your student has everything they need to make a good impression. 

Suggest that they:

• Edit their resume to adjust GPA and add work experiences and activities from the fall semester
• Scour social media and online profiles for any questionable material
• Make sure that they have plenty of resume paper and thank you notes for those impromptu meetings with recruiters. Some students also print business cards that contain their contact information and a brief profile
• Evaluate their interview wardrobe and purchase any additional items. Dark suits are a go-to choice, but don't forget items like shoes, belts, and dress socks or tights
• Some interviews and company interest sessions will require business casual clothing such as khakis, a white, off-white, or pastel button down, or a polo style pullover shirt
• Business casual for young women may include anything from slacks and a cardigan set to a simple sheath dress. When in doubt, browse Pinterest for some ideas and choose conservative over flashy
• More essentials include: A good haircut, a manicure set, a lint roller, and of course some interview coaching from the college's career services staff

Making Summer Count

Even if your child doesn't have a “dream job”, study abroad classes, or a summer internship there are still a number of ways to make this summer an educational experience.

• Work! - Any summer job will offer lessons in the “Real World”. Some students don’t see the value in a summer of working in food service, retail, or landscaping but all of these jobs require hard, task-oriented work, and the ability to manage time and handle people in sometimes difficult situations. I've hired many people in my life and the ones who were the best employees started out working in the most tedious of jobs. The way I see it; if you can wait tables, mow lawns, or deal with angry customers all day, you will be a conscientious employee who won't be afraid to work.

• Travel – The location doesn't have to be distant or exotic for learning to take place. Even seeking out a new adventure in a neighboring state can offer learning experiences.  As we age, travel becomes more and more about new experiences and learning opportunities. Even weekend getaways to local areas of interest or historical sites can enhance education and broaden students' world views.

• Independent study - Studying for anything from the MCAT to individual study in a foreign language or a non-credit, online class will broaden horizons and keep students’ intellectual muscles strong. Students who are interested in research can spend their summers working on a preliminary literature review for their future thesis or senior project. Believe it or not, some students even read for pleasure during the summer so they can easily answer the question “What was the last good book you read?”

• Volunteering – So, your child didn't find his dream internship this summer- don’t fret. There may be opportunities for similar experiences through volunteer work or job shadowing with a relative or family friend in the student’s field of study. Whatever volunteer experiences your child takes part in during the summer, be sure they record the hours worked and ask for a letter confirming the hours or a letter of reference from the volunteer supervisor. 

Get "Interview Ready" Over Winter Break

Winter break is a great time to help your student get interview ready. Many colleges hold their summer job and internship fairs in January and February, so winter break is a great time to make sure your child has everything he needs to make a good impression. 

Suggest that he:

• Edit his resume to adjust his GPA and add work experiences and activities from the fall semester.
• Scrub his social media and online profiles for any questionable material
• Purchase plenty of resume paper for job fairs, and plenty of simple thank you notes for after the interview. Some students also print business cards that contain their contact information and a brief profile.
• Evaluate his interview wardrobe and purchase any additional items. If he’s starting from square one, he can’t go wrong with a dark suit, white or off-white shirt, and a couple of conservative ties and pocket squares.
• Make sure he also has a belt, a nice pair of dress shoes, and a few pair of dress socks.
• Some interviews and company interest sessions will require business casual clothing such as khakis, a white, off-white, or pastel button down, or a polo style pullover shirt.
• Women should err on the side of caution and choose a dark suit (make sure the skirt is no higher than an inch above the kneecap when standing), a simple colored blouse, and conservative jewelry. Heels should be comfortable and 2 inches high or less, and remember that appropriate undergarments are an essential part of any outfit.
• Business casual for young women may include anything from slacks and a cardigan to a simple sheath dress. When in doubt, browse Pinterest for some ideas and choose conservative over flashy.
• More essentials include: A good haircut or money to get one, a manicure set, a shiny smile, and some interview coaching from the career services staff on campus.