What did your teens do in the long summer between A levels and university? Help needed for a downcast teen!

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Longer post below but the jist is - what did your slightly lonely teenager do in their long holiday if it wasn’t full time work or a group / lads’ vacation?

I would like to help my DS form some sort of plan for his summer between A levels and uni. 3 whole months seems like a luxury and also a lot of time to fill. It goes without saying that he ideally needs to get a job (unhelpfully we will be relocating away from where we live in the summer but not sure of timing yet) but he is also looking for ideas for travel or volunteering or something else.

He has a nice male friend group but they are indecisive and won’t commit to any plans. He’s the only one without a gf and all his mates seem terrified to make a decision without checking in with their gfs. They also want to have holidays with their gfs (most of whom are in different friend groups) and understandably DS doesn’t want to be a gooseberry on a couples holiday.

He’s absolutely not interested in a lads beach, bars, clubbing type holiday. He’s friendly but introverted in that he needs space to himself to recharge in between socialising. He would like to interrail or explore. I’ve had a quick look for organised solo travel but they advertise as 18-35 and that seems like quite an age spread - aimed at young professionals or graduate
ages rather than school leavers really.

Any and all ideas / experiences gratefully received!

Camp America sounds like it might be a good fit for him, or something like that - where he is working but in an environment with new people and a new place to explore?

Does he have any particular hobbies or interests? If he was into any summer type sports (surfing, mountain biking, scuba diving) it would be easy to find him an exotic and interesting summer job teaching it somewhere else, where everyone there would be in the same boat.

I worked at a UK summer camp before I did a year's apprenticeship with them but lots only did it for the summer. That company has recently gone into administration but plenty of similar places available such as PGL. He won't earn loads but it's a great step between home and uni life and it's a lot of fun.

does he like working with children? I. imagine there are lots of summer work opportunities at holiday clubs/ summer camps etc?

I think it's probably unsurprising that loved up teen boys (and girls) aren't going to commit to summer plans without their love interests unfortunately! (I remember that phase myself) so he should definitely focus on a job/ travel

do you live somwhere he could work in a cafe/ bar where he would meet other young people?

sounds like a priority might be making new friends

learn a new skill - ? kayaking/ sailing/ climbing ?

My son worked.

Is he a decent swimmer? He could take the lifeguard exam and work at a leisure centre.

Thank you for suggestions. Will take a look though leaning towards anything not focussed around younger children /
activity camps. He might be ok at that but he’s not spent much time around younger children and he’s not desperately sporty or outdoorsy.

Something around coding or science would be more his thing. Any abroad options that anyone can recommend? Like group travel but for YP rather than 25+

Camping and cycling trips around UK or Europe.

Mine stayed at home and learnt life skills to get Uni ready. How about a cookery course?
There are coding summer schools. Maybe he could help at one of those.
I did Trek America at the end of one summer as a student. It's not around any more but there must be something similar.
The time between exams and results goes fairly fast especially if you have a family holiday, visit family in other parts of the country etc. Then maybe only a month until starting at Uni depending on where he goes. Some course have recommended preparatory reading.

I worked and hung out with my friends

If you live near London you can volunteer at the Science Museum.

There's a long time, in teenage relationship terms, between now and the end of A levels! Your DS may find that at least some of his currently loved up friends are looking for different holiday companions by then.
My DS did his A levels last year and also didn't want to go on the typical "lads' holiday" but nor did most of his friends. He actually spent most of the holiday working, playing sport and continuing with some volunteering he's done for quite a long time, but he and his friends also did quite a lot of activities locally. Now we are fortunate with where we live I will admit, so that made it easier, but they did lots of hiking, climbing, sailing and so on without going very far from home or spending much money. They camped, stayed in Youth hostels or at each other's homes and enjoyed being able to get out when it was a bit quieter rather than only at weekends.
Obviously it depends on what kind of things your DS is into, but there's a great deal to see and do in this country and I think we sometimes overlook what is on our doorstep. A good holiday doesn't have to include a "big trip".

One did an interrail trip with his 3 best mates (no GFs, they all did their own girls trips) and one did a big family holiday with us and had some paid WFH coding.

If he can code or do science, I think it's something Camp America wants. There might be other UK based opportunities in coding or science holiday camps. I know you say he doens't have experience with young kids, but that's probably where most of the jobs are.

One of mine went on a holiday with friends- but that was just for a week. The other didn't.
Its quite early for arranging a holiday I would think.
But as a pp has said hols don't have to be far flung. Ppl I've known have gone youth hostelling in the Isle of Wight, stayed at sandyballs in the New forest, spent a week in Brighton.

An example is code ninjas, but this is more after school and weekend clubs. You don't need to be very qualified. Pay is £12-15 per hour according to indeed. www.glassdoor.co.uk/Jobs/Code-Ninjas-Jobs-E2005132.htm

Mine did a mixture, he didn't have much luck with paid work but by his own admission left it a bit late to start applying. but he carried on with 2 lots of volunteering which he had been doing through 6th form, played sport one evening a week, hung out with friends a bit and two holidays with us, one at the start and one at the end of the holiday. He and his friends all have SENs and weren't quite ready for holidays without parents. As soon as A level results were out he was busy with getting ready for uni, Ikea trips etc.

My other DC also didn't have much luck with jobs that summer, she did some paid dog and cat sitting, a couple of weeks pt in one job which didn't work out (I suspect the business wasn't legit) and again two holidays with us, she also wasn't ready to go away with friends at that stage.

In both cases the summer flew past.

Are there any science museums near you? There is one near us that has summer students, it is working with groups of kids again, showing them how things work etc, but good and relevant experience for the CV.

Mine worked in a kitchen. Hard boring work with horrible hours but decent money in fact. Was a lifesaver in the early period of uni before his loan payment arrived, and also made him appreciate even more why he was going to uni.

He'd previously been a code tutor for Code Ninjas which was good experience. I think they're a franchise so could be worth looking out for.

He did manage a long weekend away with a few friends to a Scandinavian city, they had a good time and though a few beers were had it wasn't a 'lad's holiday' in that way. If he can decide what he'd like to do in terms of travel (possibly helped by you) he may find that others join in over time. If he goes for a hostel it would be easier to add more people.

Does he like music and physical hard work? A couple of DC's friends worked for an events company building camp sites at festivals. They were part of a team and made friends but worked very hard! The pay was ok but the bonus was having a crew pass for a lot of festivals and getting to see bands when they weren't working.

Have a look at Outward Bound edited to say that I see he is not massively outdoorsy, but it would be an adventure

Volunteer holiday - likely to meet other people there on their own. He could also ask his 6th form careers advisers.

What's he hoping to study at Uni?

Mine worked, relaxed, saw friends and we had a 3 week long family holiday. Were planning the same this summer for DC2, DC1 is coming, we’re going inter railing as a family for 3 weeks.

It seems like a long time but it really isn’t. 2 weeks to get over A levels and do some work, three weeks hols, two weeks to see friends and work, A level results and sorting everything uni related out and a couple of weeks to work/get ready for uni.

The worked and saved for uni.

Two of mine have done British Exploring Society expeditions. It's definitely outdoorsy and challenging but neither of mine were particularly outdoorsy and that's the point. It's a challenge and you come out the other side with an understanding of what you can do when things get tough.

DS went on holiday with some of his mates, who are not heavy drinkers or into clubbing, so involved sightseeing and museums!

He then pretty much worked the rest of the time

I spent 1 month studying Spanish in Spain.