what did your college kid do in the summer?

[Anonymous]

DC is working as a TA at her school

[Anonymous]

My sons graduated a few years ago, but in son A's case, he always kept busy (more of his own initiative; DH and I would have been happy to let him stay home!). Son B took it easy.

Son A:
Freshman summer: studied Spanish and Chinese in Barcelona and Beijing
Sophomore summer: finance internship abroad and did a business bridge program at a New England college
Junior summer: finance internship in NYC

Son B:
Freshman summer: worked on an organic farm and did a media internship
Sophomore summer: worked in construction
Junior summer: volunteered as an EMT and got his EMT-B license
Senior summer: trained in his sport for his 5th year of college

[Anonymous]

I wish my college kid was working. At anything.

He sits around and plays video games. When he is not surreptitiously smoking pot in his room.

[Anonymous]

Summer stock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish my college kid was working. At anything.

He sits around and plays video games. When he is not surreptitiously smoking pot in his room.

How is he financing his habit or any other activities?

[Anonymous]

People who say "it doesn't matter" are talking about their own time. Now days it does matter. There are no entry level jobs...organizations expect to have free or paid interns. So, in order to get a paid internship, one has to have done at least one unpaid internship. Yes, there are exceptions. But, your dd should call people OP and ask if she can even intern for a month.

Mine interned in h.s. and then did one unpaid one after freshman year and worked in London after her second year. By the third year, she had a paid full-time job offer after graduation.

People can't afford to sit back and do nothing like the old days. And for the kid smoking pot, why do you allow that? Make him volunteer somewhere, at least.

[Anonymous]

He is a Fellow with the Hillary campaign.

[Anonymous]

As a professor who writes letters of recommendations for internships, I really, really value students who worked at paid jobs like scooping ice cream as opposed to fancy (unpaid) internships or interesting classes abroad that their parents were able to afford. Unpaid internships are oftentimes only possible for students who come from privilege and whose parents are willing to support their children financially over the summer. That being said, if your daughter can do something in addition to paid work that aligns with possible professional interests, I would encourage her to do so.