Many college students spend their summers as camp counselors. The job involves ensuring that the kids enrolled have the time of their lives (or rather don’t kill each other on your watch), making copious amounts of arts and crafts, and fortunately, enjoying the beautiful scenery on your off time. Being a camp counselor is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done and I’d like to share some of the few things it taught me.

1. Craft making is life.

I really can’t emphasis enough the amount of macaroni bracelets, paper mache flowers, and other offbeat art projects you will complete during your time as a camp counselor especially if it’s a rainy day and it’s all you have to resort to. However, since you are focused on being a busy, stressed out college student for the other nine months of the year; getting in touch with your creative side can be very relaxing.

2. You learn how to multitask.

Running around with a bunch of energetic kids is fun until you realize you need to keep them on task and schedule so that they can successfully move on to the next activity. The slight problem is that kids have never been known to do what they’re told or cooperate when asked. You learn to manage to keep your eye on the clock, the kids, and still listen to those above to know what to do.

3. You learn to love your phone less.

I know it can feel like you might die if you don’t check Instagram for an extended period of time but when you are surrounded by the beauty of nature, all those material things pale in comparison to what you are witnessing in the flesh. You tend to think less of a what great caption you should put for picture you took and appreciate how stunningly fragile God’s earth is.