As summer nears, many students find ways to extend their academic life outside of school. A common way is through summer programs at multiple universities throughout the world.
Whether it is to gain a leg up in college admissions, a deeper understanding regarding one’s area of interest, or a program that a student finds exciting, these experiences act as excellent tools for a student’s future.
Junior Grace Halupnik was accepted into the University of Washington in St. Louis’s High School Pre-Medical Institute. Here she will be studying human health and medicine in research-based space with other high school scholars. “It allows students to learn and get career experience about a huge range of topics within the medical field,” Halupnik explained.
No matter what program a student attends, certain benefits are gained from the experience. Pleasant Valley Counselor Valerie Tucker agrees that their knowledge in certain fields are broadened, “Many programs are held at impressive institutions with respectable instructors. Hearing and learning from experts in a field is always valuable,” Tucker said.
The first few months of college are already stressful and uncertain, and finding opportunities like these programs acts as a way to inform oneself on certain areas of interest. Halupnik said, “I think these programs are important due to the opportunity to gain experience in possible fields before college.”
They truly provide a foundation for the student’s possible secondary education and career paths. “The immersion in a certain field with intense study on a set subject only increases your idea on how well it will fit in your future,” Tucker said. Early exposure to possible careers seems to aid students when it is time to choose a college major.
Students utilize summer programs to get a feel for a university that is unknown to them. “I want to make sure I’m right for this field before studying it and paying for the courses, and it is the perfect chance to decide whether this university aligns with my interests,” Halupnik said.
With so many benefits, these programs help deepen students understanding for their possible field of study while also helping students find clarity in their bright futures.
