May 2008 Issue

Student Success Tip 
Making the Best Use of Summer
Now is the time for students to be finalizing their plans for this summer.  One way students can stand out as a graduate college applicant or potential new employee is to be able to boast that they have attempted to prepare themselves academically, and also professionally by using school breaks (summer, fall, winter, and spring) to gain experience.  Students can explore areas of interest and potential careers through internships, job shadowing, volunteering, or paid employment.  In addition to career building basics, students can use the summer to diversify their experiences through community service and study abroad opportunities. Some students also stay over the summer to work on research or take summer classes at Wittenberg.  

In the future, remind students to start researching summer opportunities during the fall semester.  The application process can start early in the spring semester for internships, summer camps, study abroad trips, and competitive jobs.  Hopefully, your son or daughter already has plans for the summer.  If your student is still figuring out what they want to do this summer, here is how you can help.

• Ask your student what he or she is interested in. What does it mean to “have a worthwhile summer” in your student’s eyes?  Identifying what’s important to your son or daughter will help you help them reach their goals.
• Direct your student to WittPath Career Services. The staff in this office can support students through the process of finding summer jobs, internships and more. 
• Put out some feelers and help your student network.  It’s not your job to “fix” the summer plans issue for your student.  Yet, if your student asks, put out some feelers in town. Let community members know that your talented, hard-working student will be around and looking for work!
• Talk about academic opportunities available in the summer.  Do they want/need to take summer courses to get ahead or catch up academically?  Do they want to work with faculty on a research project?  Encourage your student to talk with their advisor about the opportunities available during Summer Session and the process of transferring credits from other schools. 

This Month's Topics:

• Congratulations Parents of Graduating Seniors
• Student Success Tip 
• Important Academic Information
• Calendar - Dates to Know
• Student Life Corner
• A Note from the Parents’ Association
• Complete Printable Text