After the class of 2017 graduates on May 26 from Paint Branch High School, most of us will be going out to celebrate after a good four years of high school. Some students will be preparing for beach week, while others will be working on getting job applications filled out, and others will be beginning the process of preparing for their freshman year in college.

If you are looking for good a and challenging – volunteer opportunity, The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is currently looking for males and females 16 years old or older to be camp counselors for children with Muscular Dystrophy at the annual MDA Camp in Chestertown, MD.  Volunteer counselors can earn Student Service Learning hours (SSL) for the week-long camp but, according to Renée Rosser, a Family Care Specialist for MDA, it is a volunteer position, which means no pay, and students should not sign up for it unless they are truly committed to working with the kids. At the MDA camp, counselors are assigned one child they are  responsible for taking care of for the  whole week. Counselors  are to make sure their child is having a great time doing all of the fun activities provided to ensure their happiness. The camp runs from Saturday June 24 through Friday June 30.

Getting accepted into your number one school of choice  – or even a school that you are really interested in attending – has to be the greatest feeling of all time for a senior. One reason for the excitement is that schools often have pre-college readiness camps for incoming students, which can be a really fun opportunity to be on campus for a week or two and get the feel of college life and expectations.

For those who did not get into the college they really hoped to attend or have not been accepted to a school yet, it is not too late.There are tons of colleges accepting applications with a deadline by April 1. Those colleges are Colby Sawyer college, College of Charleston,  Keene State College, Menlo College, Minneapolis College of Art and Design and many more. Another deadline is April 15 to get into Salem State University, New College Of Florida, Manhattan College and two others. There are tons of colleges accepting applications from May to September.

For those who do know where they are going or will soon – another good plan for preparing is to watch videos or read articles about college life and what is most important to bring. Seniors could also apply for scholarships; there are millions of scholarships that you could do that will take less than 10 minutes. When packing for college, you want to make sure you do not overpack but that you have enough clothing to get you through one semester at a time. Only bring your favorite clothing, nothing that you will not wear or have not worn since 9th grade. You should also pack an interview outfit, which may come in handy. You may want to consider shower shoes so you don’t have to take one barefooted. Academically, students should want to read more, as college courses require more reading, balancing time management, consider getting a job your freshmen year to pay for expenses, staying aware of your surroundings, and developing technical skills so, when it comes to turning in a project, you will have no trouble.

For those who are looking for a new job, the best bet is to look close to home, because then you are close to work, won’t have to travel too far, and  can get extra shifts if people can’t make it to work. Students who live near or in White Oak should apply to the White Oak Bowling Alley. They are currently looking for a snack bar cashier, and some other positions could open up as well, though the jobs there require you to be 18. If you would like to work with kids, you should apply to a recreational center like East County Community Center. They need counselors for the summer, and they pay pretty well. When the kids are getting picked up, it is the end of day for them at school. So you will pick them up from there and take them to the recreation center. Finding a job is very difficult and stressful, trust me i have been applying for a new job since November 2016 and i just want to share that you cannot give up, maintain a positive attitude and hope for the best. Continue to apply to a job that is local like, Giant, Riderwood or even Chipotle.  

As for making the most of summer – travel is always a great idea if you and your family have the time and the means. If you love to scream and have sugar rushes, Minnesota’s State Fair is the place for you. The fair runs from August 25 to September 5. They will have 900 free entertainment shows and, of course, food. If you’re interested in what else Minnesota has to offer, check out their website http://www.minneapolis.org/things-to-do/arts-entertainment/. If you are into county fairs like the Minnesota one, look into some of the other ones both locally and nationally. Virginia’s State Fair is running from September 29 to October 8. Their website does not state any price, but you can always call and ask at 804-994-2800. They have rides, animal exhibits, and possibly a concert. If you don’t really like to travel, you are in luck, as Washington, DC is a really interesting place to experience and, best of all, most attractions are free. The newest museum in the Smithsonian collection, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, is open from 10am to 5:30pm. Other great Smithsonian museums include The Hirshhorn Museum which is about art. This Museum is located in SouthWest DC. Their times are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, Plaza: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, Sculpture Garden: 7:30 a.m. to dusk. Also there is the National Zoo in NorthWest DC. Their times and dates are from March 15–September:9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily(Grounds 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)and from October–March 14:9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily(Grounds 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)There are many other great things to do in DC including many festivals, so if you are interested head over to https://washington.org/article/summer-festivals-dc and find out.