A Teen’s Guide to Making The Best of Their Summer

By Jade

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With summer on the horizon, summer camps aren’t really much of an option for many teenagers before. I remember being that awkward teen at basketball camp, the oldest kid there. Despite the camp being for ages 7-18, teenagers clearly weren’t the exact audience for camp. 

The teenage years represent the last few years of your childhood; how will you make the best of it? While some families have pre-planned summer vacations, many families don’t. Although schools expect that many people go on vacation during the summer, the kids who don’t go, often feel left out. I remember the times I’ve had to write essays about my summer vacation. I didn’t have much to put and it was rather difficult to write the essay.

Here are three creative things to do during the summer.

1. Acquire an internship. 

For the academically motivated or those who are interested in learning more about white-collar jobs, you may be interested in an internship. Internships give you a small picture of how a certain career works. However, internships can be difficult to find. When I acquired my first internship, I used LinkedIn, a platform used by many people to find jobs. On LinkedIn, I set job alerts for jobs that had key words such as ‘high school intern’. For those looking for STEM-related internships, the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s Science Internship page is extremely helpful. Although most high school internships are unpaid, these internships can teach you more about the work environment, while providing a key perspective on the career of your desire.

2. Apply for a part-time job. 

Applying for a part-time job has many benefits. Many teenagers tend to choose this option during summer to provide themselves with valuable work experience. Part-time jobs can vary from working as a babysitter or cashier at the local supermarket. 

3. Explore your passions.

Being a teenager might make you realize that the last summers of your childhood are slowly fading away. While you have the time, explore your passions. During the 2020 summer, my activities were greatly limited due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, this provided me with the unique experience of rediscovering my passion for biking. For me, biking was a great way to explore and discover new places. Biking also taught me new navigational skills as well.

Although summer only lasts for three months, it’s important to savour the time you have left. Find something productive and fun to do! ​