What are your summer plans?

Summer is a great time to relax and unwind from the hectic schedule of homework, studying and the general day to day expectations of school. But your summer shouldn’t just be wasted away into day after day of doing “nothing.” The summer is a perfect time to explore your passions, investigate your interests and indulge in fun activities that you might not have time for during the regular school year. As we reach the last few weeks of school, I wanted to encourage you to start thinking about what you will do this summer to make sure that you have a productive summer and don’t spend the entire break being bored.

So, what are some ideas of how you can spend your summer? Consider taking a class (or two) in summer school. This is especially important if you are behind in credits and not doing well in school. Success rates of summer school completion are very high – in part because you are able to focus on just one subject at a time and you generally have smaller class sizes so the teacher can focus more one-on-one time with each student. If you are planning on taking a class in summer school it is important to sign up as soon as possible to make sure that you will not be closed out of the class of your choice.

Perhaps you are looking for ideas that do not involve more school… Summer vacation is a great time to expand your resume and pursue your passions by volunteering or working a summer job. Many students don’t know where to volunteer and the truth is the sky is the limit – anything that interests you has the potential for being a volunteer service project. Get creative in your approach! There are a lot of requests that are currently being publicized around school - Lose the Training Wheels is one example where students will volunteer for a week during the summer to help teach a student with Down Syndrome how to ride a bicycle. The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is seeking volunteers and has a wide range of opportunities available as outlined in this newsletter. The Columbus Housing Partnership,a non-profit organization, is seeking volunteers to serve as program assistant's by running programs for children between the ages of 5 -13. For more ideas about existing needs for volunteers you can visit FirstLink. Speaking of resumes, during summer break, you should really spend an hour or two updating your resume. (And if you don’t have a resume, the summer is a great time to make a resume – you can use the tool in OCIS or create your own.)

If you are starting to consider different careers, perhaps you have a family member or friends that would allow you to shadow them for a day or two on the job to see what their particular career is really like as this will help you determine if that career is truly of interest to you.

Current juniors (Soon to be Seniors) – this summer is going to be busy as you prepare for your senior year. Hopefully you are taking the time to visit colleges from your list and getting an idea of what you think about different schools. (Don’t forget to take a picture of you somewhere on campus for me!) You can also begin drafting your college application essays and preparing for the ACT and SAT exams.

Of course, there is always spending quality time reconnecting with your family, going on vacation, reading, and even attending camps or other formal activities which can be a part of the summer for many.

The bottom line is try to be productive this summer – at the very least it will give you great stories to share next fall when people ask you what you did over the summer.