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By Leocadia Rothschild & Aislyn O’Malley
Hello readers! This advice session is the last of this school year! Our topic is Summer Suggestions!
This article will answer some of your questions regarding advice about summer break. We also wanted to say thank you for all of your interactions throughout the school year. It’s been so awesome to be able to help you guys at Kenmore West!
What are some good summer activities to do with your friends?
Summer break can be a great time to take on new experiences that you might not have time for during the school year. Finding activities to do outside to enjoy the warm weather is often the most enjoyable during this time of year. Buffalo is known for its lively outdoor summer activities, some of them being festivals, concerts, and sports events. Some popular summer activities that occur in the Buffalo area include Taste of Buffalo, Canalside events, Kenmore Days, the Riviera Theatre, and park concerts. Finding these events can be easy by checking community calendars, venue schedules, and village websites. For more casual day activities, local parks such as Delaware Park, Niawanda Park, Glen Park, and Mang Park are great options that can be fun to go to with friends and family. There are also many fun things you can do right at home in your backyard, such as outdoor movie nights, lawn games, and cookouts. You don’t need to spend a ton of money, or even any money at all, to have a good time!
Leocadia ☆
How am I going to keep my school friendships going throughout the summer?
I think the big problem that most people face when trying to maintain their school friendships over the summer is breaking the “out-of-school hangout” ice. I would recommend you start doing things after school with your friends now, which will help build the normalcy and habit of being out-of-school buds. A quick, “hey, what are you doing after school today, wanna hang out?” can make a big change in your friendship, and doing that as soon as possible can grow a friendship and make it a little more normal to see each other once school ends. Try finding something to look forward to doing in the summer, like a festival or a trip to Darien Lake. Having plans with friends keeps them in mind even when you’re not seeing them daily. Also, please, don’t be scared of the embarrassment of rejection! Your school friends most likely also want to see you this summer, and are feeling similarly scared to ask. “What are you doing after West Fest? Wanna walk to Panera or something together?” is your one-way ticket to summer success. The big takeaway from this should be to talk to your friends because they're your friends and they like you.
Aislyn :)
What can I do over summer break to prepare for college applications?
Starting your college application process over the summer can be really helpful. To give a personal perspective, I started writing my college essay in August and realized that it was taking much longer than expected. I ended up rewriting it several times, mostly because I was trying to figure out the best approach. My suggestion would be to start no later than August, and earlier than that if you want, because then you give yourself enough time to really think about what you're writing. Rushing through the essay later on in the application process will leave you feeling stressed and stuck. The summer is also a great time to deep-dive into different colleges and the programs they offer, because then, when the school year starts, you have a much better idea about what colleges you want to apply to. (Note: speaking from experience, make sure to look into what your application requires ahead of time, such as portfolios, credits, etc!) Looking at and applying to scholarship opportunities is also really smart to do during this time, because you will be ahead of other students who may not look at these opportunities until later on in the year. Kenmore West sends out a lot of scholarship opportunities throughout the school year by email, so look out for those! But, do remember that new scholarships show up throughout the months, and some could even be applied to once you have already started college! All things considered, starting college material during the summer can take a weight off your chest in the first semester of senior year.
Leocadia ☆
How can I land my first summer job?
You came to the right place with this question… I have about four jobs! My biggest tip is to apply to as many as you can find, even if you don’t think you’ll like or be good at the job, and lower your standards, because most jobs aren't fun. There are three big steps to getting a job. Finding somewhere to work, applying for the job, and getting hired. To find somewhere to work, you have to be creative and keep your eyes peeled. Look around everywhere you go for a “Now hiring” sign, check Indeed for job listings, look in the counseling center for job postings, and most importantly, look for a job in the Town of Tonawanda. Next, when applying, it is fairly easy. Most places take online applications, so look on the website of your favorite business or corporation (usually in a section labeled “careers”). Make a resume– Google Docs and Canva have a ton of templates– most applications require one. You can exaggerate the truth a little because nobody is fact-checking you, and most places have too high standards for the type of work you do. Lastly is getting hired. This part is difficult because most places won’t follow up on an application. Call them a week or two after applying. “Hi, this is Aislyn O’Malley. I applied about a week ago, and was wondering if you got my application. If you have, have you gotten a chance to review it? Thank you so much for your time and consideration.” After all of that, you might get an interview, and then you might get hired. I’m sorry that you have to do this, but get that bag. Good luck!
Aislyn :)
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