College Courses or Summer Camp?

<p>I had this problem last year and just could not find a camp that I thought I would like and was cheap enough for Computer Science. Now I'm a Junior and am thinking about what to do next summer. Do you think it would be better to go to a Computer Science summer camp(suggestions please!) and spend a lot of money, or just take a course or two at a local university?</p>

<p>Remember that a course or two at a local university might appear on your college transcript for grad school, and I think you have option of including the course results on your undergrad college application.</p>

<p>I'm just saying it is not in your best interest to fail these courses or get a mediocre grade and have to carry around the grades forever.</p>

<p>Go camping. Read some books. Hang out with your friends. Get a part-time job at Taco World. Take a date to a movie. Ride your mountain bike. Paddle a canoe. Spend some time fishing.</p>

<p>I swear, youth is wasted on the young.</p>

<p>Youth is wasted on the young because they have no time to enjoy it. Only when they grow and work relatively normal hours do they get time to themselves. Youth today can't go fishing. They're too busy studying for AP US History. And you know what made youth today such perfectionists? Do you know who took away the fun of being a teenager?</p>

<p>Parents. Teachers. Adults. Probably people just like you. 20 years ago, it didn't matter how many extra curriculars you were the captain of or what your average was as long as it was higher than B. Of course you had time to go fishing! </p>

<p>Youth may be wasted on the young, but what good is it if the young can't enjoy it? </p>

<p>lots of kids would rather be boiled in oil than go fishing, hang out at the mall, or work at Taco World. For a kid who loves computer science (or math, or music, or whatever), a good summer program with other kids who also love that may be the most fun thing they can imagine doing. That was certainly the case for my son. He would come home from math camp practically in tears that it was over, and counting down the days until he could go back.</p>

<p>
[quote]
And you know what made youth today such perfectionists? Do you know who took away the fun of being a teenager? Parents. Teachers. Adults. Probably people just like you.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I knew the girl in my school who's parents were disappointed that she wasn't accepted to Stanford so she had to settle for Berkeley. I knew the boy that was crushed when he wasn't accepted at Harvard. I knew kids who ran for student government to look good to colleges. I knew our student body president who found out that Air Force Academy valued varsity athletes over student government and had to have the vice principal write a letter explaining that this student spent so much time on leadership he didn't have time to do sports. I knew the guy who stayed in Scouts when he didn't care any more just to earn his Eagle award so it would look good to colleges. I knew the "Girl of the Year" at our school, who had a best friend who's parents wouldn't talk to her anymore because they wanted the award for their daughter. This all happened in 1974.</p>

<p>There have always been high school over-achieving Type A hoop-jumpers. I agree with your implication that they are more common than they used to be, and that they are frequently pushed by parents.</p>

<p>
[quote]
For a kid who loves computer science (or math, or music, or whatever), a good summer program with other kids who also love that may be the most fun thing they can imagine doing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That would be my son, Texas. I reject the implication of the OP (and my apologies to the OP if I misunderstood) that summer is best spent doing some activity to impress future college admission committees. If Shortlife is looking for something fun to do, and school seems like the ticket, I have no complaint.</p>

<p>My sons were both out of town most of the summer doing things like camp, backpacking, church trips and visiting grandparents. No one in my house ever worried for a second about whether it would look good on a college application.</p>

<p>you can take comp sci courses at BU and they offer financial aid for the high school honors program..</p>

<p>I just had a really great five minutes of deep thinking...can you be boiled in oil?</p>

<p>lol</p>

<p>You absolutely have to report every college where you took courses for credit even if you took them during the summer or while you were in High School. If a college finds out that you didn't report other schools attended, they can revoke your admission or degree for academic dishonesty.</p>

<p>Whenever you enroll in a college course at any time in your life its reported to the National Student Clearinghouse (<a href="http://www.nslc.org)%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.nslc.org)&lt;/a>. Any school you subsequently apply to or want to tranfer to can look up your course and enrollment history.</p>

<p>So....if you think you'll get an A or B and you want to take the class-go ahead. But if you get in over your head you can't hide it. Unlike a trip to the principals office, this really does go onto your permanent record.</p>

<p>I don't know, you should take a college course / college courses if you feel like it...don't not take it, neccesarily, just because you don't think you will do well...if you are interested, go ahead. I have always found that I have a lot more time to devote towards summer courses, so I end up learning a lot more and doing much better, because there aren't the traditional school activities and you aren't taking a lot of other classes.</p>

<p>Let's see... I'm use my college course for sleeping and am second in the class of 50 with a 90 average. </p>

<p>Granted it's not Comp Sci but eh. Summer camp is definitely better.</p>