I loved interacting with the high schoolers and making friends with them!
What I wish was different
The only thing that I wish had been different was that I wish I could’ve spent more time as a counselor.
Advice
Always think of the participants and their experiences at the camp.
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Residential Counselor
July - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
I liked having a great network of people to support me throughout the job, as well as the unique array of tasks given.
What I wish was different
I wish the work hours had been a bit more scheduled together, rather than just two hours on, two hours, off, etc.
Advice
Get to know your staff and residents.
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Activities Coordinator and Residential Counselor
June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
I loved my experience! It was great to be on campus over the summer, work with high school students, and work with teams of other college students, Stanford and non-Stanford!
What I wish was different
It was pretty taxing on my energy! I had to work 60 hours a week which got pretty tiring at times. Also, many of the people in leadership positions that were other college students were unexperienced and made it disorganized at times.
Advice
Put your heart into this job!
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Operations Coordinator
June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
I loved spending time on campus and got to know a bunch of people from all over. I have many friends on campus, so it was fun to meet up when I had time off. The work was pretty fun, especially driving a golf cart around campus.
What I wish was different
Some co-workers were not able to relax all summer so it was stressful at times.
Advice
Be prepared for the long hours and heavy work weeks. There was not much time off, but I think it was worth it.
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Activities coordinator
June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
Really great way to network with amazing people which I would have likely not interacted with in other areas of my life at Stanford.
What I wish was different
Better coordination by superiors and applicable job training.
Advice
It's a marathon not a sprint, keep your head about you and it'll be a great time.
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Residential Counselor
May - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
The higher-ups were very involved and supportive at all times.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Residential Counselor
June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
Really good pay, fun to work with a bunch of other college students, great mentor ship opportunities with high schoolers
What I wish was different
There were a lot of non-stanford college students working at the program which was often great but sometimes resulted in a massive knowledge divide about the campus and how things worked.
Advice
Take your day off during the week to leave campus and get a real break
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Residential Counselor
June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
I liked that the other people that I worked with were friendly and equally passionate about doing the best job we could possibly do.
What I wish was different
Advice
Be okay with things not going to plan - we had a really terrible situation happen during our second session that was devastating to deal with at times.
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Residential Counselor
June - August 2018 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
The job was very fun and social. Pay was great.
What I wish was different
Less walking around of kids
Advice
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Residential counselor
June - August 2018 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
Hanging with kids
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
It’s demanding but fun if you like kids
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Residential Counselor
June - August 2018 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
Great pay (food and living was already included, so didn't have to pay for that), great atmosphere and culture, loved my coworkers and my boss(es), loved the kids I worked with, felt like I was doing meaningful work (in both an RA and TA position), and developed lifelong friendships with my coworkers and even the participants in the program. Also the campus and area is super nice; the people are super friendly; really flexible hours (i.e. could work 5 hours then take 5 hours off then have 5 more hours), and it still added up to a 60 hour work week.
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
AMAZING. WOULD DO AGAIN. WORTH EVERY BIT.
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Residential Counselor
June - August 2018 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
I really liked learning from my co-workers and the flexibility that came with the job.
What I wish was different
I wish that there were more days off.
Advice
Be open! To learning new things and meeting new people.
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Head Counselor
June - August 2017 • Palo Alto, CA
What I liked
This position allows you to work directly with University staff as well as live with high school students. While it is primarily a residential counselor role, you also get to understand the procedures in place for constructing programs.
What I wish was different
Advice
As it is a residential role, there is not always the ideal amount of time to take for yourself, so please prioritize the time that you have scheduled off.
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Assistant Residential Director
June - August 2018 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
I loved working with high school students and getting to know other college students from all around the country. Helping everyone do the best job they could was very rewarding.
What I wish was different
Advice
This position requires a full-time commitment for the entirety of a summer. Plan on doing little other than this while you're working this position.
