People won’t always like you. That’s okay.
I spent my first three days at camp being ignored by campers and sticking with my co-counselors through it all. Teen girls are not always open to outsiders, most people aren’t. I spent my whole summer trying to tell teenagers what to do and sometimes I was yelled at and completely ignored. I didn’t always get along with all of the people that I worked with. As time goes on, some people begin to like you more and some people may never like you. It’s okay that everyone isn’t your best friend. That’s how it’s meant to be.
There are things worse than not sleeping for a few days.
You get more sleep during finals week/dead week than you do during color war. Whether it’s during finals week/dead week at school or color war at camp, sleep is not always the most important thing. I got four hours of sleep over a four day color war period but it was completely worth it. Memories were made and there were lots of dance breaks. If there’s a good enough reason, not getting sleep is worth it in the end. The fun had in those middle-of-the-night hours is the best kind of fun.
Patience really is a virtue.
Things take time and people take time. Waiting has to happen and being impatient doesn't make the time go by faster. Soak it in. It's over before you know it.
It’s okay to ask for help.
You may forget the rules of a game or the daily schedule or you may need help with something much bigger. Whether you need help with something small or something big, it’s okay to ask. Friends are there to support you when you ask for help and when you need it, even if you don’t want to ask.
Sometimes things surprise you and turn out better than you thought.
Example number one: rainy days. Rainy day schedules turn out to be some of the best ones. Board games in the bunk and macramé on the porch. Time dedicated just to working on Girl’s Sing lyrics. The only time you can ever really sit still. Rainy days in the summer turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
It is not all about the money.
Surprise: camp counselors do not make a lot of money. A good amount of the small paycheck is spent on days off and does not make it far out of the summer. If I were in it for the money, I would have quit and gotten a different job. My summer as a camp counselor was life changing. Lifetime friends and memories were made. It’s called a summer job, but its really a summer experience. Money really isn’t the goal.
Chicken tenders for lunch makes an awful day less awful.
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
You don’t always have to be serious.
Camp is the perfect place to be crazy, silly, and loud. You can paint your face and do weird dances and sing at the top of your lungs without being embarrassed. Dance, sing, yell, and go crazy. Be yourself!
Memories can last a lifetime, make them great.
After about a week at home, people will be tired of your camp stories. But you can’t help but keep telling them. Camp memories, whether on camp or on your days off, last a long time. Make all of them great!
Friends are friends forever, even with all of the time apart.
The friends you make at camp are some of the best friends you’ll ever have. You share the same memories and stories. You aren’t annoyed hearing them over and over because you were there and it means just as much to you as it does to you friends.
Being a camp counselor, despite how physically and emotionally draining it was, was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It taught me so much and allowed me to be silly but also allowed me to grow up. Camp counselor is a unique job and it can be really hard work. It can also be the most fun job you ever have. Being a camp counselor is about the campers but it can change your life too, as long as you let it.
