TOP TEN PLANS FOR SUMMER LEARNING (SO YOUR PARENTS WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE)
1 . READ If we had to suggest one thing that would increase your grades and SAT scores, make you a better writer, a better student, and increase your knowledge of the world, it would be to read as many good books as possible. Read newspapers and magazines, even check out a trashy novel or two. But read!
2. VOLUNTEER One of the best things you can do this summer is help your community. It’s never too late to sign up. Most charities need your help and are more than willing to work around your schedule. Call the Sierra Club, Ronald McDonald House, the Coalition for the Homeless, whatever meets your interest. Volunteer work is challenging and rewarding—and it looks great on college applications.
3. WORK/INTERN Summer jobs and internships are great opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people. Although some of the best are probably gone by now, there’s still time to find work. Call local law firms, publishers, radio stations and offer to work for free. If you need the cash, baby sit, clean neighbors’ houses, tutor kids, flip burgers—there’s always something you can do to expand your horizons and maybe even make some money.
4. LEARN SOMETHING Just because school’s out is no reason to shut off your mind. Instead of learning the concrete curriculum, teach yourself something totally off the roster. Learn about jazz, cooking, modern art, French films, whatever interests you. Summer is the perfect time to take control of your education and to learn things that you’re interested in at your own pace.
5. CHECK OUT COLLEGES Go to a library or bookstore and check out the many books on colleges. Think about what you want in a college. Do you want to go to a large state university, a small liberal arts college, or something in between? Surf the web and check out different college web sites. If you can, visit some of the campuses you’re interested in. Even if you’re nowhere near the schools that interest you most, visit a college close to you and talk to professors and administrators to get a sense of what college life is about.
6. TAKE A HIKE No matter where you live in northern Westchester, it’s a short trip to some form of wilderness. This summer might be the perfect time to start hiking, to get out on the Hudson or Croton Rivers in a kayak or other type of boat, or just hang somewhere with Mother Nature. Hey, there’s great wild blueberries on top of Turkey Mountain in Yorktown Heights!
7. PREPARE FOR THE SAT The SAT is a pretty terrible test, causing much anxiety and measuring little more than how well you take the SAT. Unfortunately, it’s an incredibly important test and your ability to take it could have a significant impact on the course of your life. If you don’t prepare for the test, you’re losing out to the hundreds of thousands of students who are. Take courses, use books or software, but you better prepare for the SAT, and summer affords you plenty of time to do this. We at Collegewise have had years of experience teaching high school students how to increase their scores—by an average of 140 points in our private tutoring.
8. DO AT LEAST ONE THING THAT YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE Experiment. Do something great. Act in a play, spend time with senior citizens, skydive, learn karate. The beauty of it is you’re making your own agenda. Nobody’s telling you what to do, so go crazy.
9. KEEP A JOURNAL Along with how well you read, the ability to write well is one of the most important skills you can develop. Keeping a journal is a pressure-free way to express yourself in writing. And it’s a lot more fun than writing essays and book reports.
10. NETWORK Interested in the University of Michigan? Curious about a job in advertising? Talk to someone who goes to Michigan. Meet with someone who works at an ad agency. You’ll get a good sense if you’re still interested in following those paths. You’d be surprised how happy people are to talk to someone who’s interested in what they do.
Croton-on-Hudson resident Alex Weiner has taught, written for and counseled students on college admission & test preparation both domestically & internationally. He owns and runs Collegewise, and had been interviewed to discuss the college admissions process and standardized test preparation by The New York Times. While other kids spend their middle and high school years playing basketball or practicing the clarinet, Alex sat in his room memorizing the World Book Encyclopedia and the Oxford American Dictionary. In spite of this he got into college. You can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (914) 285-8495.
