<p>My son and I were having this discussion last night, what he should do this summer. He wants to do lots of fun and frivolous things, afterall he no longer THANK GOD has to be concerned with doing the "right" thing wondering how it might reflect on those college applications that we all love to hate or hate to love??
So.......he has in mind taking a trip to Europe with a group of kids from a local organization which combine doing comm. service with travel across about 5 or 6 countries, would love to do a summer snowboarding camp, plans to sleep as late as he wants many days, and will likely continue his job at least part of the summer at a local architects office because they have known each other for so long and he really looks forward to my son's help during the summer. So for the most part a foot loose and fancy free summer, though his ideas constantly change and who knows what he will actually end up doing!
I am leaving it up to him, he has worked hard these last few years,especially this last year and I think its about time he get to do exactly what HE wants, what are your plans?</p>
<p>I'll be working as a sports instructor- but not to look good for colleges, just for extra pocket money and fun...</p>
<p>"I think its about time he get to do exactly what HE wants"- is this not what summers are about? Things that you enjoy doing can sometimes be more useful for college applications as you will be sincerely enthusiastic. Enjoyable does not equal unproductive (for the most part).</p>
<p>i'm just volunteering in a hospital</p>
<p>backpacking europe</p>
<p>My daughter thinks she wants to work not only for us ,as she has since 12. But she wants to clean rental houses on Saturday mornings and work a few nights at a restaurant.
I think it is a little too much, but when it all adds up, will probably be around 40 hrs a week.</p>
<p>lje62,
I'm impressed by your D's work ethic, and I don't think what she's planning is too much. She'll still have free time to do fun things.</p>
<p>I worked 60 hours a week the summer before college. The $ came in handy when I went to college. While 60 hours a week was a lot (and I wouldn't suggest doing that unless a student really needed the money or had nothing else to do), there really wasn't much to do in my small town anyway.</p>
<p>Caltech offered me summer research, and my parents seemed intent on kicking me out of the house as soon as possible, so I went across the country and did really lame, sketchy research in a field completely unrelated to my major. (My dad wants me to be a bio major, so he tried convincing me the professor he wanted me to work for was a math prof, when really he did biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Sad part was I actually believed him.) And now I'm really, really bitter!</p>
<p>Otherwise I would've stayed at home and vegetated for a while. Or applied to Mathcamp. Would've been funner probably.</p>
<p>(Note to overzealous parents: don't try to impose research on your kids when they're already thoroughly sick of it. No matter how much it may boost their resume.)</p>
<p>ctmom: we, also, just had this conversation...very similar to yours....WHile eveyone else was travelling last summer, my d worked and interned...We told her that this summer is hers to travel if she wants to....She's currently reviewing very similar programs as your son (Rustic Pathways) and hopefully, will decide to do that....what we realized that many parents may not be aware of is that it is a very short summer if you are in the north; school/graduation is not over until the last week in June; many schools want freshman on campus by the 3rd week in August (if not earlier).....they don't even have a full two months.....</p>
<p>Man I wish I could travel but there's no way my parents would let me go anywhere alone or even with friends. So I guess I'll be doing what I do every summer...nothing. xD Sleeping in and playing video games.</p>
<p>I'm going to Australia! :D</p>
<p>caddy at the golf club, get a nightime job (hopefully zamboni driver at the local ice rink), go backpacking with my uncle, go to graduation parties, play golf, hang out with friends i suppose</p>
<p>Working day/nights. Maybe traveling if I can pool together some cash.</p>
<p>I'll be done on June 13th, and spend two weeks.. somewhere (well, I'll take a backpack, go to the airport and wait for someone to miss his flight - it's called super-last-minute and the only way I could afford my really well-deserved holidays.</p>
<p>Sadly I know nobody, who'd love to travel around - so I'm going to work and save up some money, which I'll spend on some nice extras - new computer, fancy stuff for my new flat (I'm moving out - great!)...</p>
<p>Northstarmom,
My daughter can handle to workload, but her job with us starts early in the morning. I am a little concerned about her having enough sleep if she is works late at a restaurant..oh well, she is young enough to have the energy to do it all, I hope !!</p>
<p>Teaching underprivileged kids Math and General Computing for about 3-4 hrs a day. Partying with my friends the rest of the time. :)</p>
<p>Caddying, golfing, and trying to savor the last moments of the childhood I love so much.</p>
<p>Unlike most teens, I love my hometown and will miss my friends, my room, my favorite pizza place and all the familiarities with which I have spent the first eighteen years of my life.</p>
<p>I hope to get a scholarship and travel to either Peru, Tibet, or Morocco. I really want to do community service while gain an important understanding of a new culture or place. I will probably spend the later part of the summer working in restaurants and hoping to earn some money for college.</p>
<p>I'm right there with you, 2-iron. :) I'm just spending time with my friends (most of whom are a year younger than me) before I go off to college this fall. And SHOPPING for my dorm, of course.</p>
<p>I held a 40 hr/wk job last summer, so this summer I can afford not to work. I'm going to study intensive Russian at the University of Pittsburgh for two months; assuming I do well, I'll have a great head start for one of my majors... </p>
<p>After that I have plans to take a road trip, possibly to Montreal.</p>
<p>hittin up the buddha, all night long</p>