Hey everyone! As I’m sitting here writing in the Sun and watching happy joggers bounce down the banks of the Charles, it’s clear that summer has arrived. Soon, classes will end and BU’s 16,000-odd students will take off for all corners of the globe to relax, explore, or work a summer job.
For many COM students however, the summer means one thing – internships. The summer is a great time to intern, as you can work full time. It really allows you to get the feel of working in a company, and you can go after opportunities outside of Boston.
So let’s say you’ve landed that perfect internship you’ve been dreaming of: Congrats! You’ve got a great chance to spend the summer growing as a person and a communications professional! But you’ve got one issue: the internship is in New York and you need to find somewhere to live if you don’t want to end up camping in Central Park. Well not to fear – I give you my advice to finding summer housing in a new city!
1) Figure out who you know – This is the time to bust out the ol’ Facebook and start checking up on which of your acquaintances that you may-or-may not have spoken to since High School graduation has been living it up in your summer home. Even if you’ve been out of touch for a while, or were never that close with them, this person/people can be really helpful, especially if they’re going to school there. Chances are they know someone who is looking to sublet their apartment for the summer, meaning you can get a reasonable deal on safe, non-sketchy digs for the summer with the friend/acquaintance seal of approval
2) Find out which schools are there – Every college has to deal with losing most of their student population over the summer. Many of them take the opportunity to bring in some extra revenue by opening their doors to the massive influx of college students rushing to the city for summer jobs and internships. While it may not be the most gracious of living, you can count on a familiar, safe, and well monitored living situation to get you through the summer.
3) Browse AirBnB – One of the best innovations to come out of the internet since OMFGDOGS (http://www.omfgdogs.com/), AirBnB is like the Craigslist housing classifieds without all the axe-murderer vibes. The website allows homeowners to post their various available apartments/rooms/treehouses and for everything from nightly rentals (much like a hotel), to long-term sublets. You’ve got to use your street smarts here; you are renting from individuals, and that brings all the issues that entails. However, you can easily browse reviews by other renters who have stayed there, and it’s much easier to get an idea if you’re going to be living with a Mary Poppins or a Patrick Bateman. Check it out at https://www.airbnb.com/
Hopefully wherever you end up, you’ll be able to set up a comfortable living situation so that you can focus on learning, exploring your new town, and enjoying the summer! And now the Sun’s starting to get in my eyes and make it difficult to see my computer screen, so I’ll say until next time, and get outside and have some fun!
