They’re freshmen. Not so sure the “internship” is so important this summer. D will apply for a position on a research team at her school (working with weeds – right up allergy kid’s alley, don’tcha think?) but if she doesn’t get a spot, she’ll come home and work at the pool. It’s a lot of hours and after a full day in the hot sun scolding other people’s children, she’s really too tired to get into much trouble 
The thing is that if he doesn’t get something through school and comes home, he’s unlikely to get any job here, so he’ll spend the whole summer playing video games. Obviously getting an internship in his field may be too much to ask, but maybe he can work in a computer lab that is being used for summer classes or something. Or do some solidworks work somewhere or whatever. In any case, it’s worth it to apply and get applying and maybe interviewing even if he doesn’t get a position this summer. He doesn’t necessarily need to earn money this summer since he chose his cheapest school option, but I want him to do something useful and at least cost-neutral with his time.
Oh yeah, they HAVE to stay busy doing something productive–or at least more productive than video games (or in d’s case, knitting and Netflix).
@ordinarylives - are you sure you’re not talking about my DD? Knitting and Netflix sounds just like her! Her newest is arm knitting scarves! I just saw in a picture she posted in the snow that one of her friends is wearing one of her armknit scarves.
@akmom124 I am a semi-proficient knitter, but haven’t really done it in a few years so I had to look up arm knitting. The first thing that came to mind was that you better not have an urgent need to use the restroom while you’re arm knitting!
@2014novamom - That’s true! And you have to take off any watches or jewelry (or in the case of DD - the hair elastic she always seems to have on a wrist!) But the scarves look really nice, especially when two colors are mixed. I’ve got a new supply of yarn to deliver to her on Friday. I want to try it too but my hands are so dry I’m not up to it right now.
I think my d is going to stay for one summer mini session. So she’ll be home for 10 days, back at school for 5 weeks and home for 5 weeks - with one of them going on vacation with us. It will get her a little ahead and give her breathing room, plus she’s so bored at home and absolutely drove us crazy during break, I think this is a good solution for her. She saved enough money to not need to work during college, and I didn’t want her working her first year at school. I don’t think freshman year is critical to do anything tremendous with internships or jobs.
She dropped a computer class first semester - called in tears,was so overwhelmed and terrified. She’s taking it this semester and just told me she had no idea what she was crying about before, the class isn’t difficult - what a difference a semester makes.
My daughter who got a job so she could pay for car insurance is loving her classes and her job. She reports that she is working more hours than originally scheduled. I hope she doesn’t over-do it!
DS is also looking for an internship but we will see what happens. He does know that he wants to be home this summer. He wants to make some money over the summer to pay for car insurance, gas, and spending money but if he doesn’t land an internship he will probably go back to lifeguarding. He refereed some basketball games over break but only made a couple of hundred dollars. He is certified to referee soccer so I suppose he could do some games in May and part of June, but that still leaves the rest of the summer open.
LOL on knitting and netflix/hulu!
My daughter and her friends at her dorm are looming scarves and beanies.
I didn’t even think about internships for D this summer. I suppose it’s never too early to start. She’ll likely come home and find a regular summer job - waitress, nanny - something of that sort. She has to earn her spending money for next year. I’d love to be able to let her stay at school and take a class first session, but I can’t afford to subsidize her spending money. Also figure there will be at least one summer down the road where she won’t be able to save enough due to an unpaid or low paying internship, or class she absolutely has to take.
@mathomvt we must have the same son, or at least similar philosophies 
Mine has only had one ‘job’ before and I helped him apply. He needs the practice before it really becomes necessary.
When D called yesterday she told us that she is applying for local internships for this summer, but, after that, she is unlikely come home for the summer ever again. While I will miss her, I hope her plans work out and she finds exciting things to do and places to be. The girl thinks ahead. Since internships in her major are unpaid, she worked like crazy while she was home for 4 weeks over winter break.
Last weekend she asked my mother to knit her a soft, warm scarf. I’m happy that she feels close enough to her grandmother to ask, despite growing up halfway across the country from her and seeing her at most once a year. My mother called today to tell me about it, having already been to the store to pick out soft yarn.
Not into knitting, but I always seem to be doing a cross stitch project! Just finished a couple of baby bibs for a friend, now working on a wall hanging for a former student and her beau. They are getting married this spring. With the recent snow days in our school district, I’ve had some time to stitch and clean!
Eyemamom: Would it be cheaper for your daughter to take classes in her home state at a community college? Not wanting to derail her plans, but you will be paying quite a bit for housing, food and a class. I’ve talked to my son about taking his final gen ed class, a fine arts class, at a local community college. That way, he can still work weekends as a soccer referee and continue to train for his fall cross country season. He also does not burn up scholarship hours taking it locally. He will continue to apply for internships locally, but if anything works out, he can keep busy with things around the house. We have a fence that needs painting.
Our local community college closes for summer camps so she’d have to take classes at the campus close to an hour away. I’m okay with the costs associated with it. Hubby and I both took summer classes during our college years and I think it would be good for her to take two classes with a more focus, but less stressful environment. We live in a pretty rural area, and she had a pretty dramatic breakup with a long term boyfriend here - all friends revolve around those two. I get why she doesn’t want to have so much time here.
I own a business and I usually hire 2 or 3 kids for the summer - usually one of my kids works for me - this will be the first year neither of my kids will work for me. The summer kids usually ask for the job back before they even leave for college in the fall. I had told my son a few years ago to ask his friends if any of them wanted a job - he came back and told me no one wanted to work for me. I’m like really? I pay $12/hr and let them pick their days and hours. Turns out he never even asked and one of his friends was working as a receptionist for $8/hr instead. She’s working for me this summer. The interesting part - these summer kids come in and blow away the year round staff.
@eyemamom - I don’t know why, but I wasn’t even thinking about D taking a class at a college in our town. That way she wouldn’t incur the expense of remaining on campus and she could still work. Summer jobs are usually plentiful in this area due to tourist season. I will tell her to find out if the credits would transfer. I agree that a summer class helps take some pressure off during the year. She’s taking 17 credits this semester and it’s a lot for her to keep up with in addition to her ECs.
Yes, yes, yes, take the summer classes locally (and online if you can). My oldest (who is graduating with 191 credits this May) did two summer’s worth. She wanted time for voice lessons and other psych classes that sounded fun. Before enrolling, make sure the classes will transfer and know what they will transfer as. It’s no good to take a class that just transfers in as an elective. Oldest had to take nursing chem in person the first summer because she changed majors and didn’t want to be in undergrad a 5th year. The department told her what to take and where. Then, she figured as long as she was taking one class, she’d just load up. I think she finished 10 hours that first summer, and the next year she took 6 more. Not that it ever opened up her schedule–she just filled it!
The current d will probably never take an online class. She says she lacks the structure necessary to pace herself. Her sister would be working way ahead and finish every online class early. This D would be clicking submit at 11:59 on a class that closed at midnight!
But, local and online (if possible) means no extra housing or board expenses (and those usually cost way more than the couple hundred you’ll lay out for cc tuition) and the kid can still work. Really, it’s a win-win.
One of my 2 college D’s is staying at school for 1 month bc she is a tour guide. She went through an extensive interview process and requires 5 mo. of training before she can actually give a tour. But she is getting paid through all of the training and loves the community. She is in the process of trying to find affordable 1 mo housing near campus. We JUST rebooked her spring break ticket home bc she has to work 3 days of the break. She will travel home 2600 miles to be with us for less than 48 hours. Crazy? Yes, but it’s the weekend of our hs musical and D1 and D2 want to be in the audience to support D3. The hs musical is a big thing for our family as all my girls have a passion for theatre. Don’t know how, I can’t sing in tune if my life depends on it. Anyway, thrilled that their spring break matches up.
The other college D needs to find a job at home for the summer. She has a job she can come back to but it’s retail and she doesn’t get enough hours. So, she needs to make spring break about finding a summer job and figuring out what summer class she will take. We have 5 Universities in our town and 1 CC so I’m hoping something will work! She is looking for a French class and guess what - can’t find one! ugh.
Yikes! Just got a call a few hours ago from D that she slipped on the ice at college and broke her arm!!! Now it’s casted and orthopedic Dr said she needs surgery!!! I have to travel up Monday because I want to be at the appt and it’s supposed to snow. Ugh. I feel so bad for her!!!
@cakeisgreat that’s one of those kinds of phone calls we all worry about getting :-(. So sorry for your D"s accident and I hope she is not in too much pain. I’m sure it is very hard to be distant. Good news is that arms heal quickly (though surgery sounds a little scary!) Is it her writing arm?