What do you really learn from your camp experience?

As you probably know, building up to your summer at camp can be nerve-wracking, despite all of the support and information given to you in preparation. With that being said, what is learnt, post-camp, is important, so how can you use what you learn to ultimately better yourself for the next big achievement in life??

When you return home after camp, you may still feel overwhelmed with the experience you’ve had over the summer. For some of you, it might be a case of looking for a different adventure or starting something new to fill the hole that was camp.?

No matter how big or small, confidence will be embedded within you after camp. You may not think it yourself, however travelling to a different country and working within an unknown environment will be a huge achievement, never mind the fact that you will have been away from family and instead, surrounding yourself with new people. Camp as a whole will help you develop a sort of independence, a confidence in yourself that will allow you to grow, learn and flourish into your next chapter.

As you may know, summer camps are inclusive, safe spaces known to host both children and adults from various backgrounds, religions, disabilities and languages. You will inevitably be connecting, living and working with individuals from all walks of life. It may be the case that you don’t gel with everyone, although being open-minded by co-existing in a space and learning from others will be the main focus which you can apply to other situations once you move back home, such as starting at university or a new job.

What can be seen as a taboo subject, not spoken about enough, is how to deal with your emotions. You may experience a whirlwind of emotions at camp, which can stem from being put in challenging situations or simply the unknown. These feelings of nervousness, homesickness (and potentially more) are valid and completely normal to be experiencing, especially when you have time to reflect on them and reflect on how you dealt with them. This isn’t to say all emotions you experience will be negative, as being overwhelmed with excitement and passion are also ways in which we express ourselves and can sometimes come as a shock to us in the first place. Learning from this, you could take five minutes out of your day, whilst at camp, to find a quiet spot and take it all in, have a moment to breathe and reflect on your time. Let yourself feel your emotions as everyone does it!

A chance to build your CV! The last important point of what you will learn from your experience at camp. You may already have one or are starting afresh after camp, however building on your CV with the summer that you’ve had at camp is an experience that is going to make you stand out! If you’ve done something that you feel proud of throughout your summer or overcome a challenge that you’ve faced, write it down or make a mental note, to later reflect on and use it to build your CV when writing about your achievements!

Most of you will be prepping for camp, whilst others may already be there and settling into their new homes for the next couple of months. Wherever you are on your journey, just remember to be in the present, but also think about, what will you really learn from your camp experience?

If you want to experience working abroad at a summer camp in Canada, apply here to start your adventure.