The repetitive nature of school and work is notorious for stifling creativity and causing stress. Sitting at the same desk at the same time nearly every day can make life seem too gray after awhile. High school students specifically are all too familiar with this bleak lifestyle. With homework and part time jobs adding to their daily schedule, many leave the house before the sun rises and return when its already below the horizon. It is becoming increasingly difficult for students to escape their dismal classrooms and get outside to soak up the sun. This is why the summer is so valuable to busy students. During these two months, “having fun is a daily criterion” (1). However, after elementary school, many students forget one of the staple vacation activities: summer camp. Fun in the sun doesn’t have to end when you enter high school, in fact, camps can benefit older students more than they may expect.

Summer camps are mainly advertised as a social “building block” for developing children (1). However, it can also serve as a place to destress for high school students, With high schoolers’ stress levels rivaling those of adults, the constant responsibilities of school and life can become overbearing. Being able to escape into the wild – like the transcendentalists they constantly read about – can help them take a step back. Taking time to evaluate and improve our mental health is an essential step to expanding our minds. By giving students this opportunity, summer camp also becomes a building block for their endeavors in adulthood.

Additionally, with growing desire for jobs or volunteer work on their dreaded college applications, students’ resumes may even be expanded. Learning to be a role model to impressionable attendees can greatly impact the self awareness and self esteem of high-schoolers. Being able to see the impression they have made on a child – and their friendship that then develops – can be an amazing experience for a teenager. The immediate admiration from excited campers allows young councilors to be leaders for what might be the first time ever.

Summer camp – for all ages – could not possibly be overrated. The importance of a student’s mental health during their high school years is just as important as the length of their college applications. I strongly urge anyone who has the opportunity to go to a summer program to seize it while they can. The summer months are fleeting after school ends, so make the most of them.

Sources

• https://www.acacamps.org/press-room/benefits-of-camp/psychological-aspects (1)
• http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.aspx (2)
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201009/routines-comforting-or-confining (3)