Being able to work with so many passionate, ambitious, and enthusiastic high school students was the best part of this job. They all showed up every day just bursting with energy and excited to express themselves, share their creativity, and be a part of a team. It was really inspiring to see how happy they were just to be there and how hard they were willing to work to accomplish their goals.
What I wish was different
Though we got to spend a decent amount of time being with the students in classes and helping them with their creativity, there was also a lot of work that had to be put in behind the scenes just making sure everything worked out logistically, and it was definitely a bit of a drain on our energy as RAs and TAs. However, it's an important job that has to be done, and looking back, I'm at least happy that my hard work helped make sure the students had a great summer.
Advice
Just because it is a summer camp does not mean it's a walk in the park, this was without a doubt the most stressful, hectic, and chaotic experience I have ever been a part of, but I am so happy I was a part of it and would gladly do it again.
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Teaching Assistant
June - August 2019 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
Was a TA/RA at a film summer program for high school students at Northwestern, I attended the program while in high school and returned in college to work it. It was an absolutely great experience and getting to work with some incredibly talented up and coming filmmakers was an amazing opportunity.
What I wish was different
Honestly, the way the students, who were mostly 16-17, were treated and sort of babied was hard to be a part of. And watch. These are students who are a year away from being in college and they had the freedom and trust that you’d give a middle schooler.
Advice
Get to know the students, but more importantly let them get to know you. It’s easy for them to be intimidated by you because you are older and in college and sort of an authority figure over them, but if you spend some time with them they will get over that very quickly and will open up to you a lot more, which just makes the summer much easier if you have their trust and they are willing to talk to you rather than hide things.
