Why wait for tomorrow if you can do it today?
~One of my father’s favorite sayings.
Problem is-most of us have to wait until tomorrow. There’s a virus sweeping the globe, and our leaders have instructed us to stay at home. They’ve closed our offices and restaurants, our schools, and limited access to our parks, our beaches, and on our playgrounds.
As students, you are likely continuing your studies in isolation. Homework is no longer an after-school drudgery, it’s an all-day affair. The work remains while all the fun has been taken away. You aren’t allowed to gather socially, and although you know this won’t last forever, it’s a challenge to find alternate ways of staying productive and engaged.
Make the best of a bad situation, (another of my father’s sayings) and get busy with some real practical steps towards achieving your goals.
Dig deep into researching college courses that are both broad and specialized. You may even find a major or a master’s program that you were not aware of before now. Try YouVisit or the college website to find the latest tours and info.
Your To-Do List:
Check out the Teenlife website for information on Summer Programs, and read our Summer Activities Guides. It is important to not be docile during the summer of all things COVID.
Start a club or organization emphasizing technology, communications, or social justice. Research your idea, plan it, and send invitations. You’ll be ready for your first in-person meeting or activity by the time the Stay At Home mandate is lifted. Or you can ZOOM into it whenever you are ready.
Get involved in clubs or summer events which will allow students to explore STEM curriculum alongside WPI’s world-renowned faculty LAUNCH for 9th and 10th Graders or FRONTIERS at WPI or Girls Who Code.
Find a job as a camp counselor for science programs such Camp Invention or simply do something that interests you. Colleges want to know how you spend your free time and your summer. Create something for yourself- you don’t need to spend money…you can make it!
Find an Internship such as Emerging Leader Internship led by the former director of Wharton’s Leadership in the Business World. Or check out American University’s PreCollege Summer Programs for high school students.
Create a website focusing on problem solving in any area of interest. For inspiration, check out the website-UNSustainable Development Goals for Ideas.
Choose on-line and community college courses in computer science, engineering, health sciences, and social justice courses such as; law, human rights, peace, and conflict studies. Or knock out that CHEMISTRY class. You can get a jump on college credits. Keep these classes in your area of interest so that you can show a focus on what you may want to study- even though it will probably change 2-3 times if you are among the masses!
Gain some AI. There is a growing need for skills which cannot be automated (think AI). The innovations of technology and science are complimented with collaboration, cultural awareness, and the ability to find solutions. Believe it or not, these skills are a result of creativity, storytelling, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. Can you think of ways to develop these skills?
Read up on, understand, and build opinions about political issues such as healthcare. Turn those into OP ED pieces which could even get you published in a local or national paper – what a great set-up for an internship! Capitol Hill or State Government anyone?
If you want help matching your skills to opportunities, contact us @ [email protected]
Emilie is a senior director at Annapolis College Consulting with a focus on punctuation and structure. Check out her bio on our website: https://annapoliscollegeconsulting.com/