It’s no secret that preparing for college is a stressful task for students, parents, and educators alike. Hours upon hours are spent researching school statistics, career prospects, financial aid, housing, and more. However, no amount of research can truly provide students with the answer to perhaps one of the most pressing questions about college—what is it really like? At the first-ever TXGU College Matters Summer Camp, students got to find the answer to this question and many others while working (and playing) hard at St. Edward’s University in Austin, as you'll see in our latest "Texas GEAR UP in Action" video.

As the Texas GEAR UP State Grant's first summer camp, the staff did an excellent job creating, planning, and executing a college-prep camp that gave students the experience of being a student at a four-year university. At the camp, sophomores and juniors from across the state attended classes and workshops that provided them with tons of valuable strategies for their final years of high school. And though students received lots of great information directly, summer camp staffers also gave teens the opportunity to work together and find answers to their problems on their own—a skill they'll need to thrive in college. Of course, it wasn't all hard work and no play for these campers. Between classes, TXGU'ers immersed themselves fully in the college experience as they hung out on campus eating dining hall food and sleeping in dorms. An experience like no other, students at the College Matters Summer Camp can surely say all those hours of college research were totally worth it.