Putting Summer Plans in Place
As your student determines what the summer will hold, there are some things you can do to help:
- Ask What She's Interested In. What does it mean to "have a worthwhile summer" in your student's eyes? Ask her! Seeing what's important to her will help you put her goals first instead of imposing your own.
- What About Classes? Is your student planning to take a class or two this summer? Discuss the pros and cons.
- Direct Him to Career Services. The people in this office can help him look for summer jobs, internships and more. They won't get the job for him - that's up to him! Yet, they'll provide support and resources throughout the process.
- Put Out Some Feelers. It's not your job to "fix" the summer plans issue for your student. Yet, if he asks and will be with you for the summer, put out some feelers in town. Let community members know that your talented, hard-working kid will be around and looking for work!
- Talk Realistically About Money. It's easy to have grand dreams about the summer, but it's also important to be realistic about what needs to be done. Have an intentional conversation with your student about money and what needs to happen in order to cover next year's college costs. If she knows that she's responsible for spending money and books and other expenses, that will help her gauge her work schedule over the summer while also seeing if she can fit in the volunteer gig she'd like to try. Providing complete information so she can make adult choices is a great step in fostering self-responsibility.