Many high school and college students will opt for a job as a camp counselor, it’s good money and a way to tap into your inner child again. There are some things you learn along the way.
1. You hear your name way more than you do in the whole school year.
Campers and other co-counselors will be calling your name all day. Campers especially.
2. You realize how hard parenting would be.
By no means is camp counseling exactly like being a parent, but when you spend eight hours or more a day with kids, it starts to feel like it.
3. You become an expert at making crafts.
You get pretty crafty making friendship bracelets, lanyards, yarn eyes, Perler beads and countless other crafts that pass the time at camp.
4. Your schedule is like what it was in high school.
Waking up in the early hours the morning and not going home until 3 or even later will remind you of those good ol' high school days. If you’re at an overnight camp, well, I’m not sure how you do it.
5. You’re exhausted.
Hours and hours spent with campers, participating in activities outdoors in the sun and walking everywhere takes a toll you might not have been expecting. You’ve probably never felt so tired so consistently and you’ve never been so excited for the weekend.
6. You walk everywhere.
You won’t have to worry about meeting your 10,000 steps a day working at a camp. Between activities, taking campers to the office, walking to lunch, and everything else, you will usually surpass your goal steps.
7. You always have band-aids and first aid supplies on hand.
Kids get hurt a lot. Band-aids and ice packs are essential.
8. You know half the campers by name.
If you’ve worked at a camp for a long time, chances are you’ll see the same faces and you learn a lot of them, the good and the bad.
9. You learn to think on your feet.
You learn that kids are not so great at problem-solving and get easily upset at a small thing. You have to get creative and help them decide on a solution to their problems.
10. You become a kid again.
You get excited about playing silly games and make them ridiculous as possible, you might jump in the pool with your clothes on and sometimes you get more excited about the activities than the kids.
11. You understand why your parents hated it when you whined.
Whining is literally the most annoying thing ever.
12. You see some pretty weird stuff.
You'll probably come across some strange and gross things at camp. Underwear lying on the ground, balled-up socks and Goldfish in the sink. You'll wonder how kids can lose their underwear, but then you realize you're at camp and anything is possible.
13. You have a good time and usually show up next year.
Camp is an exhausting experience, but you still manage to have a good time.
