The 3 (potential) Mishaps of Freshman Staff

Here's a bit of unsolicited advice for someone coming to camp for their first season of work.

So many teenagers and young adults are used to the academic crawl, and camp can be a tough transition. However, avoiding these three things can make a big difference to the start of your camp experience.

#3: NEGLECTING SLEEP ON THE FIRST NIGHT(S)
Most of our staff will be coming up Monday morning at 9:00 am (on June 16th), and spend their first day of camp catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. With so many things to talk about, conversation between staff can wax strong into the evening hours.

Between the transition of sleeping in a new place & staying up late, you can put yourself into a cycle of sleep deprivation that might affect your learning and mood for several days. Being moody, tired, and unfocused are all disadvantages that I try to encourage most staff to avoid by getting enough rest.

In college you often just need to 'show up' in your 7:00 am class, but at camp you'll be engaged in participatory learning, group games, certifications, script memorization, and testing that you'll need to pass before camp begins.

#2: EATING TO MUCH FOR LUNCH (During Training Week)
At PSR our food really is the best; I have never gotten tired of eating camp food. The joy of eating is really only marred by the mistake of overeating, which can be an issue for anyone.

I know some of you need 'Phelps-ian' amounts of calories to survive, but avoid packing on the carbs at lunch. After lunch you'll need to be sharp and prepared for learning, and that can be tough if all you want to do is sleep.

#1: MAKING A POOR FIRST IMPRESSION
During the nine days of staff training week, each freshman staff member is starting with a blank slate. The leadership only has a good impression (or no impression) of you and this will be your opportunity to show the supervisors what kind of person and employee you are.

We're really blessed because I would say most (>85%) demonstrate that they are trustworthy leaders who take the mission of camp seriously, and the remainder (with extra supervision and training) also come on board.

First impressions are often hard to overcome, but it's also something that is exclusively in your control. So be on time, with a smile, ready to learn, and participate starting on day one!

We'll see you in two weeks!

~Jeremy

P.S. DON'T FORGET: Paperwork (except I-9 & direct deposit form) deadline is coming up on June 5th. Remember, the direct deposit form is not a required form, it's optional.