Choosing your summer camp role

If you’re reading this, you might be looking into spending a summer abroad at camp in America.

Maybe you've even gone as far as applying and are in the process of deciding the camp role you’d like to take.There are a lot of unknowns and expectations, and you might even be questioning whether this amount of preparation will be worth it. One year ago, I was in your shoes, and I remember how daunting it was to commit yourself to something like this. I hope that in sharing my experience with you, I can offer some insight into camp life and what exciting moments are ahead of you if you decide to take the leap yourself.

Choosing a role that suits you

There are over 10,000 camps in the US - each one looking for new Counsellors every year. There are so many roles, and every camp is slightly different! Start by doing some research and think about what you enjoy doing, what your skills are and what experience you have. Or try something completely new, if you’re keen to try it out. As a theatre lover and film studies graduate, I initially applied for a role as a Theatre Counsellor at Tripp Lake. However, I was later offered a role as a Camp Advisor. So, what is a Camp Advisor?

This is something I was questioning myself and, although I had always been interested in working in theatre, I was intrigued by the prospect of a role I knew little about. After plenty of research and weighing up my options, I decided to take the opportunity to become a Camp Advisor and learn something completely new.

My life as a Camp Advisor

As I previously mentioned, every summer camp is slightly different and does things in their own unique way. For example, Tripp Lake doesn’t have General Counsellors who assist the kids between activities. Instead, there were eight Camp Advisors each allocated a different age group of around 30 kids. I was assigned the nine to ten-year old’s who were the sweetest (and noisiest) little ones who I adored. My fellow advisors would agree, the role could be an entirely different experience depending on which age range you were assigned. For me, my time was spent assisting kids between activities, planning theme days and day trips, and preparing for the aftermath of phone call day (be very prepared for handling crying kids). However, for the Advisors responsible for older campers, it was out-of-camp activity preparation and teenage drama to tackle.

In addition to all this, there are Activity Counsellors who double up as Bunk Counsellors. They are responsible for bunking arrangements; ensuring the campers are waking up on time, following curfew rules and keeping the bunk clean. Might sound full on, right? If you’re choosing a role that involves the bunks, be prepared for a demanding but entertaining and rewarding responsibility.

Camp roles and routines

amp is all about routine. Waking up to an alarm and keeping time throughout the day based on a series of chimes is a pretty surreal routine to get used to. Whilst the basic structure of each day is fairly similar, each role within my camp had a slightly different routine.

As a Camp Advisor, my day-to-day life primarily involved overseeing the campers I was responsible for, ensuring they were enjoying their daily activities and checking to see how they were doing. Each day included five activities, three meals, a rest hour and a free period in which the kids could take time to relax and write to their families.

Another major element to my day-to-day life was ensuring we were keeping accurate attendance logs, medical records and camp experience records for each camper. As a ‘tech-free’ camp, records were kept on a clipboard which we carried around between activities. In a climate that felt like 85% rain, this was certainly a challenge, and it was falling apart by the end of the summer!

Every day was a completely different adventure and, whilst assisting the kids with their activities, I got the chance to join in with them as much as possible. Whether it was banana boating, inflatables in the lake, roasting marshmallows around a campfire or making friendship bracelets, I got the full summer camp experience too. To be involved in these moments with the kids is a rare and special experience that I’ll cherish for life.

Building relationships

Possibly the best aspect to take away from your camp experience is the friendships. If you’re lucky enough, you will find your people who you may even end up travelling with after camp has ended. Camp is a bubble-like community away from the real world. You’re thrown together into this environment and are there to take on the stresses, pressures and excitement of camp together.

Us advisors were thrown into the deep end as only a small amount were returners to camp - most of us were completely new. A bunch of us were from all over the world too which was really cool because I got to learn a lot about the different experiences of growing up in South Africa, Germany, Ireland and Spain. I am now fortunate enough to have a place to stay around the world with a personal tour guide! As the only British Advisor, I enjoyed being able to use up my stash of tea bags (even more quickly than usual) to teach the other advisors how to make the perfect cuppa.

In our role, we felt the pressures of camp but were at least in the same boat and therefore could remind each other to take it day by day. It brought us closer together, from helping each other photocopy schedules or even taking it in turns to answer the door to the kids when one of us wanted a quick 20-minute nap. We experienced long days and evenings of work but would then have long nights in one of our rooms chatting and comparing what we’d been up to. I always felt relieved to know that my fellow Advisors were there to help me in these times and to relate to the dramas and entertainment of camp. Soon, these people who started as strangers to co-workers became lifelong best friends through shared experiences.

Final thoughts

Camp life can really open your eyes to your strengths, weaknesses and passions. It’s the perfect opportunity to build your personal and professional skills, whilst providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try something completely new.

For me, being a Camp Advisor offered me the chance to really improve my time management, dependability and communication skills. Every day it tested my ability to adapt to new situations, with skills that are not only a valuable asset professionally, but in life in general. Camp life can be both physically and mentally demanding, and your roles and responsibilities will play a crucial role in determining the experience you will have. So be sure to choose wisely!

If you’re lucky enough like me, you’ll meet some amazing friends and fellow Counsellors along the way, who will help you through it and you can enjoy the experience with.

Been inspired by Chloe’s story to spend the summer at camp? Find out more