If you haven’t heard it a million times since now I am going to say it again: Congrats on getting those acceptance letters! I can understand the gratifying feeling when the good news comes and the realization that all the years of hard work has culminated into something tangible. You should be proud and remember to enjoy the last days of senior year. However I would implore you to start thinking of life once the graduation ceremony has come and gone. The summer is a prime time to make sure that the transition to college life will be seamless with as little turbulence as possible. Thus I have outlined two key pieces of advice:
GET A JOB: It’s that simple because there is no way around it. As you know college is expensive and you might think mom and dad will be there to bail you out, but there are no lessons learned from always falling back on the same people. An objective during the college experience should be independence on some level. No I’m not saying that parents won’t be in the equation but I am saying that self-reliance is something to be strived for. If you’re like me paying for books, extracurricular activities and miscellaneous items can amount to a hefty bill. Thus I would encourage all of you to start saving NOW. I understand prom is around the corner and you probably want to buy that outrageously expensive dress- which will only be worn once- but in the long run it’s not worth it. I have learned a lesson this year on how to prioritize and sacrifice. There are two categories when it comes to spending money: wants and needs. You need textbooks and a laptop, you don’t need to buy those extra pair of shoes or that 45′ inch plasma t.v for the dorm.
Internships & Community Service: These are important to building towards a new resume. One thing students don’t realize is that once high school is over, many of the accomplishments such as: National Honor Society, Key Club, and Student Government are no longer admissible on resumes in the future. During your freshman year you can rely on those high school achievements to secure jobs and other opportunities on campus but that is only because of youth/ inexperience. This summer I am clearing all my high school achievements and starting over with what was done in my freshman year. It would be wise to start looking for opportunities for possible career experience. For example if you are a political science major, start looking for internships in your local elected representatives office. Whether it be a state senator or even a U.S. Senator it doesn’t matter the experience will give much needed insight and boost your resume. The same can be said for all majors and areas of interest. The relevant career experiences that I speak of are not the type that are found easily, you might have to contact an office or ask for parental advice, but the work in the long run is worth it.