by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist
Summer camps, library programs, VBS, sports camps, these are all good, but not typically geared for teenagers. There are also colleges with programs for high school students, some of which are quite competitive.
What SHOULD your college bound teen do in the summer?
That depends... what are his or her goals? What does he or she want to accomplish in life?
Here's an exercise that takes a couple of hours. (I've adapted Jordan Peterson's future authoring exercise.) Teens (and adults!) can use this to really think about and express the desires of their hearts and so come to know what it is she or he wants to accomplish in life (and, therefore, in college).
The instructions:
Get out paper and pen or pencil and a timer. You can do this all in one sitting, or break it up into several sittings. Do all the steps within two weeks, ideally within one. If you break it up into several sittings, start each sitting with Step 1. For this, it is best, by far, to actually write, rather than type.
Step 1 - Set the Stage, Get Yourself Ready
Get comfy. Pray, inviting God, Who created the heavens and the earth, to direct you, to help you start to glimpse His plan for your life -
Relax. Breathe in deeply. Hold it for a slow count of three, then let it out very very slowly. Repeat four times.
Did you do that? If not, do it. I get it, deep breathing seems SO lame. It's not. It clears your mind, and lowers your stress, and allows you to think better. THOSE are IMPORTANT, so breathe!
Get yourself situated comfortably in a private place where you won't be interrupted. If music helps you think and be creative, put some on. I strongly suggest that it be instrumental so the lyrics don't interfere with your train of thought.
Step 2 - Hopes and Dreams - Family
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - your hopes and dreams for your future family, or, if you are already married, for your family in the future.
Will you marry? Have kids? Both parents work? Will you or your spouse work from home? Will you home school? Where do you want to live? Region of the Country? Urban/Suburban/Rural? Near your family of origin? Will you own a home? Live in a high rise? etc...
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time
you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - your hopes and
dreams for your friends.
Do you want to have a strong group of friends? Will you (and your spouse) play sports, do book studies, bible studies, service work, play games, socialize, etc. with your friends? Will you have a mentor? Be a mentor?
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - your hopes and dreams for your job(s).
What sort of job(s) do you want to work? In what settings? Inside, outside, independent, collaborative, virtual, hybrid, etc. Do you want to travel? If so, how often and to where? Do you hope to work for a large company? A medium sized one? Small? Mom & Pop? Start your own?
Step 5 - Hopes and Dreams - Career
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - your hopes and dreams for your career.
What are your career goals? What massive, perplexing problems do you want to solve? How do you want to use your skills, abilities, talents, and interests to make the world a better place? What sort of income do you hope to make? What sort of career do you want? Do you want multiple careers?
How do you define success?
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - make plans to curb your temptations.
Be honest. What tempts you? Spending too much? How will you implement a budget? What does a well moderated financial life look for to you? What do you hope for? Drink too much? Use drugs? Can you moderate it or do you need to not drink at all? What do you hope for? What about sex? What are your hopes and dreams for your intimate relationships? What about over-working? Laziness? What else tempts you?
Part of this step is identifying your temptations. Be honest with yourself. Another part is imagining or dreaming of life lived well, not indulging in those temptations. What do you hope for? What do you dream of?
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - your hopes and dreams for your free time.
What hobbies do you hope to pursue? Dream big. What skills do you hope to develop? Go for it! How will you relax - on a daily basis? weekly? monthly? annually?
Step 8 - Civic Responsibilities
Set the timer for fifteen minutes. That is the MINIMUM amount of time you will spend on this step. WRITE out - on paper! - your hopes and dreams for your society.
What sort of impact will you have on your neighborhood? How do you hope to serve? Mentoring? Serving the poor meals? Serving on a Board of Directors? Starting an organization to meet a need? Run for office?
Step 9 - Bring it all Together
After you have taken the time to dream, to write out your hopes and dreams, set aside time in two to three days to look them over. In the meantime, let them sit in your mind and heart for a few days.
When the time comes, review them, some will fit together well while others will be outliers. Themes will emerge. Now you can start to put together plans and goals to make those dreams into a reality.
This can be quite difficult to do on your own. Katherine is available to guide you through the steps, and to help you analyze them, then create goals and plans to achieve those goals. To explore this, email her: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com
Katherine O'Brien is the founder of Celtic College Consultants and has been providing expert knowledge for the journey to college since 2004. She is a holistic planner, focusing on student development, leadership development, career exploration, goal setting, college funding, and lifelong student success. As a faithful Roman Catholic, she values each person as a gift.
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