You gain a sense of meaning and purpose. | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

10 Best Things About Being a Summer Camp Counselor

We all know that the best job on earth is one that you will always love to do.

380
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/2010Fortson4-HCampCounselors.JPG
Wikimedia Commons

In This Article:

Who wouldn't love getting paid to have the best summer of your life? However, is it even possible to decide what the best part of work is? I asked Camp Counselors what they enjoyed most about their job and this is what we came up with.

Weekly S'mores.

Giphy

All summer long, once a week. You get to enjoy the thrill ride that it making around 300 s'mores and enjoying the sweet goodness yourself. By the end of the summer, you are a qualified professional s'more maker. Technically, this is in your job description so you are getting paid to dedicate one of your nights to going full out on the s'more making process. Usually as the summer progresses, counselors get rather creative and concoct very interesting (& delicious) s'mores. The only downside? When the summer ends, your s'mores craving carries over and you may go through a slight withdrawal phase.

You basically live on a lake ALL summer.

Giphy

The majority of your time is spent with the kids to ensure their safety and that they have the best week or weeks of their life. There are moments of "break time" when the kids are doing activities ran by other staff members or in my case, when they went to practice twice a day. During these breaks, counselors have most of the camp to themselves and are able to hang out with each other and treat it like a mini vacation. Most of the time, these blocks of time were spent by the lake. Who doesn't want to spend their entire summer tanning on the lake and getting paid to do so?! When I work for Flip Fest, every Thursday afternoon is a guaranteed counselor break as the kids have their last practice of the week and we do not have to work other activities. It is prime bonding time and a great chance to take advantage of your awesome job position.

Camp fashion is the BEST fashion.

To be completely honest, camp attire is extremely different compared to your day to day wardrobe. Fanny packs are just now starting to make a comeback, but they have been a camp staple for ages. Rocking a fanny pack is like a sign of importance. You are busy and on the go! Where else can you where multiple bandannas with absolutely no shame? Camp. It is a BIG power move if you have every color and maybe a few tie-dye. Speaking of tie-dye, ever head of Tie-Dye Tuesday? An entire day dedicated to wearing as much tie-dye as possible and owning it. It makes everyone's day brighter. On top of those many fashion benefits, there is never a need to try too hard to look perfect in the camp setting. Everyone accepts you for who you are no matter what. Plus, the kids love the wacky outfits.

You're paid to be an overgrown child.

Giphy

Now, you do have to be an adult in order to your job correctly and efficiently, but in order to connect with your kids and keep them entertained you have to be able let out your inner child. You are encouraged to have the time of your life. Jump in the lake, make 18 bracelets, tell jokes, laugh as much as possible, HAVE FUN! Kids love it and so do you. You spend the entire summer ensuring that this is the best week of everyone's life, you gotta get into it.

It reinforces your hope in humanity.

Giphy


You spend your entire year looking forward to your time at camp because that is where everything seems to make sense. Being surrounded by people who want to make the world a better place allows yourself to relax and embrace the positive energy. Many use the summer as a time to recharge for the rest of the year. No matter what could be going wrong in life outside, channel into camp and everything is okay.

Instant forever family

Giphy

Once on staff, you are automatically considered family. Whether it be with just counselors or people of higher authority; everyone is involved in the family dynamic. Your dreams and ambitions are supported without question and if someone on staff can help you get to where you wanna be, they will do it in a heartbeat. They are there for you always and will be available if you ever feel like you need a pick me up. Camp family is real family.

You gain a sense of meaning and purpose.

Camp Counselor Helps Camper Feed HorseRobert Saltzman

Day to day life can seem boring and might drag on for too long without a sense of meaning. At camp, there is always something needed to be done. You are always wanted and it gives you a purpose in the world. To some it may seem small, but you could really affect hundreds of people with the simplest thing you do while working. The responsibility is one of the greatest drives for you to be the best you can be.

Best support system in the world

c1.staticflickr.com

Like previously mentioned, the family aspect is real. If you ever need ANYTHING at ANYTIME, someone will be there for you. Spending your entire summer with the same awesome group of people leads to unbreakable bonds that can stretch many years and many miles. Not only is everyone supportive at camp, but they continue to support everyone throughout the entirety of the year. If they feel like something is off about you, they are right there to make sure everything is okay.

The chance to inspire others

Giphy

Let's not forget that you are put in charge of children of many different ages. For a week, you are the authoritative figure in their lives. With this comes excessive joy, but all also excessive responsibility. Each child's safety and well being is in your hands. With new kids every week, you never know what you're going to get. Everyone has a different story and now you're a part of it. This could be intimidating, but it gives you the glorious opportunity to change at least one person's life. Sometimes just talking to a counselor can inspire a child to live their life differently or make amazing decisions for themselves. You never know how much of an impact you can make. It is truly amazing.

It is literally the BEST JOB EVER!

Giphy

Not to be too biased, but being a camp counselor is a dream job for young adults (and really everybody). With all of these previously listed reasons and many others combined, what more could you want? You are housed and fed all summer with pay! Lifetime friends are made as are phenomenal memories. Honestly, the atmosphere is amazing for your overall health. With the positive energy, you feel like you truly can take on the world. Camp life is the best life.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
friends
Kristin Buggy

College is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. However, it is also one of the toughest transitions to make. There is so much anticipation and excitement leading up to moving into college. It doesn’t truly hit you until move in day when your parents say their final goodbyes and you see their car drive away. You truly are on your own. I was blessed to meet my best friends within the first week of school. Your college friends are so important and here’s why:

Keep Reading...Show less
13 Real Thoughts Every College Student Has At Some Point
Good Call

There are a few thoughts that go through a college student's mind on a day to day basis. Some of those thoughts come from class, some of then come from when you are bored in class. Here are sixteen thoughts that college students think of on a day to day basis.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Mouse, Cookie, Chaos!

He's going to ask for a glass of milk

83683
mouse with a cookie

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone does not try to help their self before asking others. How can someone else be expected to help you if you do not first do that yourself? I'm all about helping those that need it when the time comes, however whenever someone does not even attempt to help him or herself first then that becomes a huge problem. As we all have learned, people tend to take advantage of us in one way or another. I am sure we all read this short story when we were younger and it follows that same principle:

Keep Reading...Show less
39 Traits You Know You Have If You're A Libra
Flickr

If you were born between September 23rd - October 22nd, then you are a Libra. Let's be real, Libras are the best because you are the perfect balance of all things in life. Some may find this boring, but they don't know anything about what it means to be all things at once. As Libras, we hold much on our shoulders that no one can understand. These are traits you know to be true if you are a Libra:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

12 Types Of Drunk Girls You'll See In Every Friend Group

"Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives."

2136
friends
Cloud Front

Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives. Each one of you plays a vital role in making sure the night goes (relatively) smoothly.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments