The Young Leader

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5 Things You Can (And Should) Do Your First Summer Before College

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The summer after you graduate high school is a very special time. You’ve closed one chapter of your life, and you’re about to embark on the next—college. Many teens are so happy to finally have some time off that they just want to sleep or veg out for the summer. But, trust me, if you do that, you’ll regret it.

Take my advice, and make the most out of your summer, because once college starts, your life will be dedicated to school once again. Here are some fun ideas for your first summer before college!

1. Spend Quality Time With Friends And Family

If you’re going away to college, then the next time your friends and family will be all be together again probably won’t be until Thanksgiving, or even Christmas. So use this summer to pack in some quality time with the people you care about the most.

2. Travel Abroad

There are lots of programs out there that are designed specifically for teens and college students. If you’ve always wanted to travel abroad, but never had the time to actually do it, then the summer before college is the perfect time to take that journey.

3. Volunteer

Whether you volunteer for a local charity in your hometown, or a cause in another country, you’ll be fulfilled knowing that you volunteered your time and efforts to helping others.

4. Take Short Trips

Short trips are awesome because they don’t take a whole lot of planning, and the travel expenses are minimal compared to long vacations. So if there’s a city or landmark within a few hours of your house, then gather up some friends and go for a day trip.

5. Be Spontaneous

Spontaneity and summertime are one in the same, because the weather is nice, and there are always new and fun activities to try. You should certainly take advantage of this before you have to buckle down and hit the books in the fall.

There are tons of different things you can do the summer before college, but the most important thing to remember is that this time is precious and you don’t want to waste it. So get out there and have some fun—you’ll be so glad you did!

Contributed by Ashley Welter

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Pre-Trip Checklist For Teens Studying Abroad

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Going abroad sometime soon? Good for you! It’s a very exciting time, especially in the weeks before you embark on your journey. You’re nervous, excited, scared, and maybe even having second thoughts. But trust me, that’s just cold feet, and it’s completely normal.

You are leaving the country, and with that, you’re jumping out of your comfort zone. Don’t let your nerves get in the way — you’re going to have an amazing time, and there’s a good chance this trip may even change your life! So let loose, have fun, and make sure you follow the tried and true pre-trip checklist!

  1. Make sure your passport is valid through the end of your trip
  2. Make copies of your passport, driver’s license, and any other identification
  3. Obtain travelers insurance if necessary
  4. Make sure all paperwork and documents are signed and processed with your travel abroad program
  5. If you’re taking classes abroad, make sure you’re enrolled and ready to start
  6. Provide your parents and/or guardians with the name, address, and phone number of where you’ll be residing during your trip
  7. Do not, and I mean DO NOT over-pack
  8. Research the climate of your destination so you can be sure to bring appropriate clothes
  9. Be 100% sure of what you are, and are not allowed to bring into the country (every country has different regulations)
  10. Pack for comfort, not for style
  11. Leave plenty of room in your luggage to bring home souvenirs, etc.
  12. Get all required medical checkups, vaccinations, etc. before leaving the U.S.
  13. Buy a journal so you can document your travel experiences
  14. Purchase an international data plan for your cell phone
  15. Schedule weekly calls or online chats with your friends and family back home  – but don’t forget the time difference.

This checklist will help you out a lot, and as long as you’re prepare for your trip and all the amazing experiences you’re about to have, you’re good to go!

Contributed by Ashley Welter

 

 

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5 Inspirational Movies Every Teen Should Watch

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Great movies are like great books. They have the power to change you — the way you think, your aspirations, and your outlook on certain aspects of life.

Once you see a great movie, it resonates with you long after the final scene. Here are five inspirational movies every teen should watch, or in some cases, re-watch.

1. Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer tells the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a teenage girl who lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing near her home in Hawaii. Everyone thought her dreams of becoming a pro surfer were crushed, but Hamilton proved otherwise, and she’s now one of the greatest and most respected professional surfers in the world. This movie shows us that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible, even against all odds.

2. Remember The Titans

Remember The Titans is another powerful true story about a high school football team at a newly racially integrated high school in the early 1970s. Viewers see firsthand the obstacles that the players and their families faced, and the ways they were able to overcome adversity.

From this movie, we are reminded of the overwhelming power of friendship and kindness even in the most trying of times.

3. Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting centers on a young man working as a janitor at the prestigious MIT. After jokingly solving one of the most difficult math equations in history, he becomes a protege, but his pent up anger and aggression constantly derail his progress because he thinks that he is not worthy of the great things that are happening in his life.

The most important lesson in this movie is that no matter where you’re from, or what your circumstances were growing up, you have the ability to do and be anything you want, as long as you set your mind to it.

4. Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society is a slightly older movie that most teens probably haven’t seen, and that is precisely why it’s on this list — because every teen should watch it. The movie is about a group of privileged teens at an all-boys boarding school, and they’re introduced to an unorthodox teacher who pushes boundaries, often to the school’s discontent.

This is a great movie with a valuable lesson — think for yourself, and never conform to the thoughts of those around you when your heart is telling you otherwise.

5. The Lion King

The Lion King is the greatest movie ever made. Yes, that’s a biased personal opinion, and you certainly don’t have to agree. However, there is no denying that this movie is quite powerful, especially when you watch it as a teen or adult. The cute lions and fun songs sort of fade away, and the life lessons become clear.

What we learn from this Disney classic is that, in order to truly understand yourself and what is right for you, you might need to get away for a while to explore the world, make new friends, and learn that the world is much bigger than you think. And even if you stray a bit from the path you’re expected to take, what’s meant to be will be — it just takes time.

My guess is that most teens have seen one, two, three, or maybe even all five of these movies. But, regardless of whether or not you’ve had the pleasure of viewing these great films, you should definitely take some time to watch them again, especially if it’s been several years since you’ve seen them. You’ll be glad you did!

Contributed by Ashley Welter

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Five African Countries That Shouldn’t Be Missed

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Rise and shine! Have you ever wanted to wake up to an epic sunrise? Or take an astonishing trek through tropical rainforests, rippling dunes, jagged mountains, and lush highlands?

Africa, with all its beauty and personality, inspires an ecstatic state of childlike wonder. As the natural birthplace of civilization, it’s accentuated by a rich, diverse culture. And there’s so much more.

For you all you motivated adventurers and passionate volunteers, we present you with 4 African Countries that Shouldn’t be Missed:

  1. Ghana
  2. Egypt
  3. Tanzania
  4. Madagascar

Ghana

The heart and soul of any country lies with its people. Many of you aspiring college students will have the good fortune of rooming with an international student. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a fantastic roommate from Ghana, and he loves talking about home. Building real relationships with natives can help make any traveling experience much more meaningful and authentic.

What Charles (my roommate) goes on and on about, besides soccer and the latest Chief Keef Album, is how delicious Ghanaian food is.

So if you ever plan to visit Ghana, definitely sample the local cuisine and perhaps even volunteer to help prepare it!

Egypt

You have probably heard of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What you may not know is that Dubai is actually building life-size replicas of all seven in their Falconcity of Wonders by 2220.

If you want to see the only wonder still standing today, then be sure to check out the Pyramids of Giza.

Tanzania

Now that you’re completely stuffed with Ghanaian food and blown away by seeing the pyramids firsthand, I personally invite you on a hiking trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.

This is the highest free-standing mountain in the world and certainly the highest in Africa. If you’re up for the rigor and adventure, then consider this as your once-in-a-lifetime challenge. If hiking up gigantic mountains isn’t really your thing, then you can still check out the view from Moshi town as you can see below. You can sip your cold beverage in complete leisure as those silly people go running up mountains.

Madagascar

The beautiful rainforests, colorful and lavish plant-life, and the unique variety of animals are plenty of reasons to check out this island country.

If nothing else, visit it because there are lemurs (you know you want to!).

Contributed by Nick Fochtman

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College Application Essay Topics Outside the Norm

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It’s that time again. The yearly struggle to write college application essays is upon us. Given that this is a common problem that most of us will face or have faced at some point or another, I’d like to offer a few suggestions on topics that your fellow applicants probably won’t be brave enough to cover. That is, topics outside the norm.

Are you brave enough to tackle them?

First, the key to writing a great college entrance essay paper is to make it fun and engaging, while also challenging typical thinking on the subject. Go against the grain! College essays can still be entertaining, you just have to figure out how to make them so. The prompts your chosen colleges give may seem boring – it’s your job to make them interesting. Further, entertaining essays catch the eye of admissions committees tasked with reading about the same topic over and over again. Doing something different can make you stand out, and get you admitted.

For example, in one essay, we were asked to write a letter to someone explaining the importance of writing well. Most students chose their brothers or sisters or friends. I chose Stephen King.

In another essay prompt, we were asked to predict the future and how humans will change. I composed an essay suggesting humans would grow hair like monkeys in order to protect them from the sun.

Those are only a couple of examples of the ways you can make even seemingly boring topics fun.

Here are a few more out-of-the-norm college application essay ideas:

  1. Your favorite TV show. You’d be surprised how many academics are devoted to television shows. Buffy: the Vampire Slayer has a huge academic following – with conferences and scholarly papers included. See if you can weave your favorite television show into your essay. You can do the same with songs that may apply to your topic.
  2. What’s the thing you most dislike to do? Hate is a very motivating topic. Find something you really dislike and write about it. Give your opinion, do some research, synthesize your opinion with your findings and see if you change your mind. Writing is the physical manifestation of thinking, and thinking is what college is all about.
  3. Tell your life story – backward. Write your autobiography, including triumphs and failures, from today to your birth.
  4. If you are assigned a topic, twist it into something interesting, as I did with the first two examples. Writing about what you did last summer can turn into quite the amusing story, if given the right perspective.

Now, make sure you don’t skip over the requirements for your essays – sometimes outside-the-box topics can make you forget what you were supposed to write about! But try to have fun and make them personal at the same time. Given the right perspective, these kinds of essays almost write themselves.

Contributed by William Pate

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