Seniors plan their final summers before college

Priya Patel

Priya Patel will spend her summer, for the most part, at “home,” but that doesn’t mean she can’t be productive. She wants to prepare for college, volunteer, and get a job. Priya is still looking for a job, but she will volunteer at the San Mateo Homeless Shelter.

“My main goal is to figure out plans for college, once I get there such as specific clothing, furniture, bedding,” Patel said. “I also want to figure out what classes I’m going to take, what clubs I’m going to join- researching more about my college. I’m not gonna leave it alone for the summer, I don’t want to be behind, so I can start off college on a good note.”

Patel also advises future seniors to spend time with friends and family, the summer after senior year.

“Definitely spend time with friends and family,” Patel said. “I’m going to spend time with my sisters and family. I’m also going to spend time with my current friends, so we don’t lose touch.”

 Priya Patel will spend time with friends, relax, and prepare mentally for college during the summer. Priya Patel will spend time with friends, relax, and prepare mentally for college during the summer.  Jacob Cohen will spend time backpacking in Canada during the summer. Jacob Cohen will spend time backpacking in Canada during the summer.

Jacob Cohen

Jacob Cohen will spend a month backpacking this summer in Canada. Specifically, he will be backpacking in the Yukon territory–a sparsely populated, mountainous region that includes multiple national parks.

“I am looking forward to it because I enjoy hiking and exploring places I have never been,” Cohen said. “This is similar to previous summers because I have also done a month of backpacking in Montana.”

Cohen advises those who are still planning their summers to keep in mind that this summer may offer more freedom and opportunity than those in the past or future.

“I would make sure that you are doing something that you enjoy rather than participating in an activity that you think will look good on a resume but you dislike doing,” Cohen said.

Rachel Battersby

Rachel Battersby will spend her summer both traveling and gaining experience in the medical field.

“This summer I am getting emergency medical technician (EMT) license,” Battersby said. “And hopefully will be volunteering or working as an EMT. I’m looking forward to this because it will allow me to stay busy while doing something interesting, I will also be able to help people and gain vital experience in emergency medicine.”

Battersby anticipates, though, this summer being more relaxing than summers in the past.

“The prior summers I (and other people) made sure to do something “meaningful” like research opportunities, educational experiences, or getting a job, in order to build a resume (while doing something interesting),” Battersby said. “I think it’s important that students remember that it’s their last summer with their close friends. They should use the summer to have fun and live in the moment.”

 Rachel Battersby will travel and obtain an EMT license this summer. Rachel Battersby will travel and obtain an EMT license this summer.

Brice Redmond

Brice Redmond plans on studying both computer science and economics in college, and he will spend part of his summer taking classes at UC Santa Barbara, to obtain credits. He plans on participating in the Freshman Summer Start Program, which gives admitted students the opportunity to choose from 90 classes.

“I’m planning on taking some summer classes at the college I’m going to, to get ahead. I’m going to focus on economics and computer science, so I want to satisfy some requirements. Typically, majors in the STEM field have lots of requirements for a degree, and since I want to study both econ and computer science, it’d be great to get ahead,” Redmond said.

Redmond, however, advises students to spend time with friends and family this summer, as this summer provides more freedom, than future summers.

“This is gonna be one of the last times with your friends. At the end of summer, everyone’s going to be gone, and everything as a whole will be a lot different. Responsibilities are definitely changing, and you should keep this in mind when you plan out your senior summer,” Redmond said.