I have spent the past two summers at Summer Camps in Ontario, Canada and I can honestly say it has been a life changing experience. University summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to try something new and to explore the world. I would encourage everyone to experience Summer Camp at least once in their life and these are my Top 5 Reasons why:

1) New activities & experiences

There are so many opportunities to try new activities and experience so many new things while working at camp. I worked at a Traditional Summer Camp last Summer called Camp Winnebagoe (http://www.campwinnebagoe.com/camp-winnebagoe-traditions/) and the facilities they had were incredible. My personal favourite activities were paddle boarding, kayaking and the splash zone (Massive inflatables in the lake).

The activities available were endless, there was sailing, paddle boarding, hydro bikes, swim lessons, splash zone, water skiing, corrals, archery, ropes, rock climbing, camp fires, drama, horse riding, baseball, football, tennis, arts and crafts just to name a few. The staff are never bored and neither are the campers. Throughout camp there is so much positive energy and joy and there are smiles all around. My personal favourite things to do in my down time with my friends was star spinning on the tennis courts at night and watching sunsets. In years to come I will fondly remember how peaceful my time at camp was and the care free feeling I had whilst I was there. It really becomes your home away from home.

2) Friends that turn into family

The people I have met at Summer Camp over the past two summers are the most kind, genuine, and fun people I have ever met. You begin the summer as total strangers, from different corners of the world, and then emerge three months later as a crazy camp family. The bond you have with your camp friends is indescribable. You are with each other twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for three months straight – with no break from each other. It sounds intense, and it is, but it is so much fun! You live together, eat meals together, have days off together, travel after camp together and experience the craziness of camp life together.

Camp is an indescribable experience to explain to family and friends at home. If they weren’t at camp they just won’t get it – TRUST ME! The best way I have found to describe Summer Camp is from the movie “Parent Trap”. It is really as crazy as the movie is. The only people that will understand the experience you have had are the friends you made that summer. Only your camp friends will understand the joy of 500 people spontaneously breaking out in song and dance in the middle of the dining hall, the excitement of your team winning a camp wide challenge, and the normality of starting work at 7am with a jump in the lake before breakfast! None of these experiences are normal, but they become your new normal for three months.

3) Work that isn’t work

Working at a Summer Camp doesn’t seem like work. There is a saying there that “The days are long but the weeks are short”. The weeks spent at camp fly by, because you are having so much fun. International staff are usually either activity staff which consists of teaching specialist activities such as rock climbing, canoeing , archery etc or else being a camp counsellor. Therefore, either way, you will spend your time at camp teaching campers an activity you love or being a Counsellor, which allows you to do all the activities with your campers and be there for them in their time of need. As a Camp Counsellor you are essentially taking on the role of the campers ‘Mum’ for the summer, and this is very important role to have as some of the campers as young as 7 years old, could be at camp for three months! This may seem crazy, but campers see their summer camp as their second home and enjoy every second, and are in floods of tears when the buses come to take them home.

It’s the perfect way to spend a summer, doing something you love, in the nicest weather, meeting the best people.

4) Only so many summers

While in University, the thought of gaining work experience through doing a Summer Internship is ever present – as this is probably what most of your friends are doing. The course I do is very intense and I knew I needed a break. I didn't want to spend my summer in a stressful environment so I followed my heart and not my head, (telling me to do an internship) and went to Camp.

I wanted to gain new experiences, meet new people and travel. I thought to myself that I had all of my life to work but there are only so many summers that I will have off to travel before I start my career. The two summers I spent at camp were very rewarding experiences and I learned a lot about myself and how to deal with hard and stressful situations. I had times where campers refused to participate in every activity and were so homesick they would cry all day. I had days where I was running on three hours of sleep as the staff were preparing all night for surprise camp wide events, and you couldn’t show your pure exhaustion to the campers. All of the experiences have helped me to develop stronger life skills such as resilience, positivity and problem solving. I have found that my experience and lessons learned at camp have helped me to fill out many Internship and Graduate Programme applications to date, therefore, your camp journey is a learning curve and an experience future employees will appreciate.

You only have so many University summers, so live them to the fullest. Make them a summer to remember.

5) Free Accommodation & Food

You do not earn very much working at camp (about $1500 for the entire summer, if it is your first year). However, you don’t have any expenses other than days off and travelling at the end of camp while in Canada. Therefore, you really only need enough money to book your flights and then you can use your money earned as travel expenses. This is the perfect working holiday for a student with little spare cash as you will have the experience of a life time, without using up all of your savings. While living at camp you have free accommodation for three months, and 4-5 meals included every day and access to all the activities. It is crazy how much food is available to eat!! There is typically breakfast, lunch, munch (which is a snack), dinner and then snack and then sometimes even staff snack… so you will never ever be hungry! As the cooks have to cater towards children’s needs it is rare that you do not like the food.

If you are interested in applying to work in a summer camp I would really recommend the company “Camp Canada by nyqyest” – see https://www.go-nyquest.com. They make every step of the process stress free and easy and are there to support you for your full stay in Canada. They sort our your placement, insurance, and your working visa.