With just a few weeks left before the end of the school year, summer will be here before we know it! Here are 5 areas high school students can focus on to make the most of their summer break:
1. Pursue passions
Summer is a perfect time for students to pursue personal interests they are passionate about but don’t have as much time to focus on during the school year. For example, a student who is interested in coding could work on developing a new app or website, contribute to open-source projects, or learn a new programming language. Immersing themselves in a subject they’re interested in not only enhances students’ knowledge and skills but also shows colleges that they are taking initiative and seeking out opportunities to challenge themselves outside of the classroom.
2. Gain work and career experience
Taking on a part-time job, internship, or volunteer position during summer break offers students invaluable real-world experience and insight into potential career paths. Whether it’s working at a local business, doing a research internship at a nearby college, or volunteering at a nonprofit organization, these experiences can provide students with practical skills, professional networking opportunities, and a glimpse into the responsibilities of different professions.
3. Develop valuable life skills
Summer break is a great time for students to focus on developing the life skills they will need to thrive in college. For example, this could include learning how to budget and manage personal finances, experimenting with cooking and meal planning, or developing organization and project management skills by taking responsibility for planning a family trip. Building these types of everyday life skills gives students an opportunity to demonstrate maturity, self-reliance, and adaptability – traits that are highly valued by college admissions committees and also give students (and parents!) a boost of confidence in their ability to handle life on their own in college. To dive deeper into this topic and get a checklist of life skills that are helpful for students to develop, check out this post.
4. Focus on College Applications
For rising juniors and seniors, summer break is a perfect time to work on test prep and college applications. Students who finished Algebra II in Sophomore year can start preparing for the SAT or ACT over the summer (for more information on ideal test prep timelines, check out last month’s Aha! post on What Can Sophomore Parents Do to De-Stress the College Process?). The summer is also an ideal time to work on other aspects of the college application process, including researching potential colleges, completing the common app, and writing personal statements and supplemental essays. By proactively completing these tasks during the summer, students can increase the quality of their applications and dramatically lower their stress levels during the academic year.
5. Lay a strong academic foundation
Ultimately, the factor that matters most in college admissions is students’ academic performance, particularly their high school GPA and the rigor of their coursework. Students can use the summer to get ahead academically by taking summer school courses to complete graduation requirements and make room for more AP classes during the school year. If they’re planning to take challenging courses in the Fall, they can set themselves up for success by using online resources to preview key concepts and get ahead on the course material. And dedicating time over the summer to complete any required summer reading or assignments before the last minute can help them start off the new school year with strong grades from the and make a good initial impression on their teachers.
Whatever you do, be intentional
No matter what activities your student decides to focus on this summer, the most important thing is for them to beintentional about how they use their time. If your student could use some help creating some more structure for their goals for the summer, this printable Summer Goals Checklist can help get them started!
