The end of the academic year means different things for different people; for some, it is time to enjoy the much-awaited summer vacation to the fullest while for others, it means finally relaxing. For Yew Chung International School of Beijing Class of 2020, however, this is the time when they would be attending a variety of summer programmes and activities, in preparation for their journey to university.

Under normal circumstances, Jonathan Mellen, YCIS Beijing’s University Guidance Officer, would have recommended a variety of internships, summer jobs, shadowing experiences, university visits, volunteer work, research opportunities, etc. Yet, due to the special nature of Summer 2020 and the extensive travel limitations, he dedicated much of his time researching for other suitable, online programmes and activities for our graduates.

Summer programmes prior to beginning university have proven to be valuable to students due to their nature of preparing the young graduates for their new journeys. An important benefit these present is the ability to help students stand out as well as offer them insights into university life, depending on what they choose to do.

According to Mr Mellen, when choosing the right programme, it is important that parents ponder upon the following questions; “Will my child be stimulated? Will he / she be able to discover something new? Will he / she be able to develop a skill? Will it prepare him / her for something?”. These are vital aspects in ensuring that the most suitable activity or programme is selected.

With the current climate, many of our parents have also be wondering how their children should be spending their summer this year, as opposed to exploring their new university town or partaking in charity work with an organisation of their choice. For them, Mr Mellen has created the list below which includes ways in which students can remain active during this time, while awaiting communication from their universities.

Continue Previous Volunteer ExperiencesStudents can continue a CAS project on an in-depth level or work on a project in their home country. An alternative is Rustic Pathways which will make available programmes for you to volunteer once things are back to normal.

Start New HobbiesStudents can work on their Art portfolios, improve their computer skills, register for online courses or improve on their reading and writing skills by using this website.

Sign Up for Pre-College Programmes OnlineSome universities have online pre-college programmes that your child can join. They include New York University, Yale University, Wake Forest University, Cornell University and Wheaton University amongst many others around the world.

Conduct ResearchStudents can take part in research with Pioneer Academics, a US based organisation whose goal is to provide students with research opportunities across a wide range of disciplines and also offer them college credit.

Find a Virtual Work ProgrammeFor those students whose goal is to enter the job market, opportunities to join a virtual internship are available to them. InsideSherpa offers virtual work experiences, where top companies teach students what they look for before hiring their future employees.

Although the outbreak has brought about a bout of unexpected change, as the popular Chinese saying goes, “In every crisis, lies a seed of opportunity”. Which is reflected in how students have overcome adversity and will be able to have a good summer with the resources available to them.

For more details on how your child can spend their summer, click here to find additional suggestions from Mr’s Mellen.