Skill-Building in the Summer
By Belinda Bobko
Ahh…. The lazy days of summer are here. Without the rush of campus activities and academic deadlines, you may see your student become all too comfortable on the couch playing Wii. There are some easy ways your student can continuously be developing various skills throughout the summer. Feel free to nudge them toward a productive summer!
Offer up your Network: We have mentioned this idea in previous newsletters, but it is an incredibly powerful way for your student to gain insight into careers and industries. Think of colleagues and personal friends who may be willing to offer up 1-2 hours with your student in a job shadow or informational interview. The more students can be exposed to a range of work environments the more likely they will be able to discern what may (or may not) work for them.
Suggest Volunteering: From local hospitals to a day camp, committing to a nonprofit for a few hours a week is a great opportunity to build and refine a whole host of interpersonal skills. These of course include problem-solving skills, communication skills (including listening) and teamwork.
Read Together: This may be a stretch, but have your student read one or two non-academic books during the summer. The idea of “fun” reading will expand their vocabulary and knowledge base while lending a great answer to the standard interview question, “What was the last book you read?” Better yet, read the book with your student and form a mini-book club. Debating the principals and themes of the novel will help your student stay intellectually engaged. One suggestion, try the selected reading for the incoming freshman class: “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
Share a Meal: With all of the texting and twittering that happens for information sharing, students are not cultivating their verbal communications skills as they should. (Not to mention proper table etiquette.) Having a family dinner (without cell phones) once a week will allow for everyone to communicate and share ideas rather than texting or tweeting.
Summer is filled with possibility and potential. There is always plenty to do to fill the long (and sometimes lazy) days of summer. Encourage your student to continually be working on developing different skills throughout the summer in order to take on sophomore year will gusto!