By Christie Marshall

Fancy spending 3 months embracing your wild side, and being paid to do so? Christie Marshall tells us how to make the most of a summer job.

I spent the summer of 2019 working at a children’s summer camp in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada, and I haven’t stopped talking about it since. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had, and the memories and friends I made there are so important to me now. One of the things that I loved the most about it was how different it was to anything I’d ever done before – but also, completely different from what I expected going into it. After representing CCUSA (my camp agency) at the Refresher’s Fayre, I think now is the perfect time for some myth-busting about working at a camp like mine.

So here are my top tips for working at a summer camp:

1. Know what you’re getting into

Regardless of your specific job at camp, you’re going to be surrounded by kids. All-day, all the time, for the whole 9+ weeks that you’re there. You have to be prepared to deal with them, and all of the chaos that always comes with children.

Depending on your role, you may only see groups of kids for a few hours during the day, but you could be spending literally 24/7 with them; from meals to bedtime. Camp staff needs levels of patience and understanding like nothing else, but you’ll find that building a relationship with these kids and watching them have a great summer is so rewarding – because that’s what it’s all about.

2. Get involved with all of the weird and wacky traditions

Some camps are really new, having only been built in the 2010s, but some date back for decades – my camp was founded in 1921!

This, along with the nature of North American summer camps, means that each is FULL of its own unique traditions – and as strangely wonderful as most are, a couple might make you feel as though you’ve landed in the middle of a cult: that’s where St Andrews students might have an advantage…

It’s important to remember that these traditions are integral to camp life, and although they seem strange to outsiders, to the campers and long-term staff they are as normal as the sun rising in the morning (they know, because that’s usually when the little ones wake up). Getting involved will really help you to integrate and feel comfortable in this completely new environment, as well as bond with your fellow staff more quickly.

3. Enjoy the time away from social media and normal life

The level of internet access you’ll have whilst you’re away differs between camps (I barely had electricity, let alone wi-fi) but even if it’s available, don’t spend loads of time on your phone.

Sure, a text to let your friends and family know you’re still alive is a necessity, but try to make the most of a break from social media and technology in general. If you do, you’re sure to get the most out of your experience there – and it’s also so refreshing not to be checking your socials whenever you’re bored.

I didn’t read the news once from mid-June until the end of August and watched my screen time drop from several hours a day to an average of 16 minutes. I have to admit, it was such a nice escape from hearing depressing stories about current events and certain presidents who shall remain nameless.

4. Embrace it!

Three months sounds like a long time, but once you get there it absolutely flies by. Spending your summer working at a camp isn’t an opportunity you’ll often have in life, so make the most of it while you’re there. Try new things, throw yourself into this new country and culture, and be kind to everyone.

Being in such an enclosed environment (often in the middle of nowhere) means that is it impossible to avoid bonding with your co-workers really quickly, and I came away from my summer having met people who are now some of my closest friends. It’s possibly the most fun job you’ll ever have, so really try to focus on the present and just enjoy it!

Photo Credit: Christie Marshall

St. Art does not own any of the photos used in this post.