Making Plans for Summer

So you have a plan for preparing for college during the school year. But what about during the summer? The time between school years is also a good time to further your preparation.

The main activity for most students during the summer is work. Working allows you to save money, gain valuable experience, and pad your application. If you do plan on working and have not yet secured a job, the best time to start looking is spring. This is when most employers looking for summer help will be hiring. To find opportunities, look at the help wanted ads, check with local businesses, and ask your friends where they got their jobs. If you haven’t gotten a job by the time summer starts, it still isn’t too late to try. You might just have to settle for a job that you don’t like as much.

If you don’t plan on working during the summer, you can still make progress toward your college planning. One of the most profitable things you can do is to prepare for the ACT or SAT exam. Obtain a study guide and go through it over the summer. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on it. Just try to do a little bit each day. Make it your goal to complete it by the time summer is over. At the end of the summer break, try taking a practice exam to see where you are at. This way you will know what you need to work on over the following school year.

Another thing that you can do during the summer is make sure your brain doesn’t take a vacation along with you. While it is tempting to give your mind a rest, try doing something to keep it active. Go to the library and check out some books to read. You can also read some newspapers or magazines such as ‘Time’ to keep track of current events. You can still relax, watch TV, and play video games, but try to set aside at least a little time to stimulate your mind. This will especially help if you are planning on taking the ACT or SAT exam that fall. You won’t have to work so hard to ‘get back in the groove.’

So, as summer approaches, decide on what you want to do. Apply for a job, get a library card, or find a study guide. Any of these things will give you an edge over people who just took the summer off.