Tag: Summer

A Summer in Review: Boston Edition

Smaran Ramidi CAS’25

The city of Boston is beautiful. Running across campus to get to your next class, you often see the skyline of the city in the background. But with so much homework, club meetings, and going to work, it’s often difficult to truly explore the city.  When I had the chance to stay in Boston over the summer, exploring the city was my first priority after work. So join me in reflecting on my summer in Boston.

Seaport:

 A so-called essential part of Boston to visit, Seaport became my second home as I went there every weekday to work. So while the glitz and glam was interesting at first, the overpriced food and long commute made it less fun overtime. While everybody should visit Seaport for its winter market and the Institute of Contemporary Art, frequent trips aren’t necessary.

South End:

 The South End of Boston is an amazing neighborhood. With a vibrant culture that traces its roots back to being Boston’s BIPOC community, the lack of public transit access to the city makes historical sense. So while it’s a bit of a trek to get over to the South End, the walk itself has a beauty in itself. With a very different vibe from the rest of the city, the pop-up summer SoWa market along with the year round indoor SoWa market, it was a great visit. The South End also houses the city’s art community with open viewings of many art studios and beautiful works. It might take a little bit more planning and time to visit the South End, but it’s totally worth it.

Cambridge:

 Between the sprawling campuses of MIT and Harvard, it’s difficult to see the beauty of Cambridge. While it isn’t the city of Boston, Cambridge is close enough and has its own charm. While it also takes a little bit more walking, you get the chance to explore a lot more local Boston spots. From the overflowing clothes of the Garment District to the graffiti alley in Central, Cambridge has its fair share of hidden treasuries. All it takes it just a little bit time to look past what we normally see.

Walking:

 Walking is not the name of a part of Boston, but my favorite way to get around in the city. Yes, Boston is indeed the most walkable city. In the rush of life, taking the bus and the T is our best option. But when you have the time, a good walk is all it takes to feel like you have control of everything once again. My favorite walking trip? Walking from Marsh Chapel to the North End.

Yes it took 2 hours, but it was the most calming experience of my summer. I took it with fellow Kilachand student Monet Ota. Together we set out to walk all the way to the North End with the motivation of a delicious cannoli to end the trip. A walk full of recapping our summers so far, a break on Newbury Street for mochi donuts, playing on the playground in the Boston Commons, and finally a delicious tiramisu cannoli. College is stressful, but then you remember having moments like this.

 Every tour I give at BU, I always make my group pause and look at the Boston skyline from Comm Ave. I always remind them that Boston University is in the city of Boston. But I forget that fact too, suck in the BU bubble. So after this summer, I’ve made a promise to myself to take the breaks I need to visit the city I came to BU for.

A Summer in Boston – from a Fellow Premed

Emma Kraus CAS'23

My MCAT was scheduled for August 27th. This date was starred, circled, highlighted and burned into my memory in May as I moved into my sublet for summer 2022, a cozy but small apartment in Fenway. Thinking about it made me cringe and force myself to take a breath. It was going to be a long summer.

My study schedule was personalized for my learning habits and I had planned it out perfectly, but this doesn’t mean looking at a 5 days a week, 8 hour a day summer full of studying was anything to look forward to. I think I may have explored every nook or the GSU and Mugar Library, and by the end of the summer, I could tell you anything about that library (Floor 3 has the comfiest chairs, a women’s restroom and a water bottle refilling station but it often gets cold. Floor 2, however, is much more comfortable but no water bottle refilling station and floor 6 doesn't have large tables to spread out.)

Despite all my doom and gloom in the wake of my MCAT, I was determined to enjoy my summer as a college student in Boston. Twice a week, I worked as a medical scribe at a head and neck oncology clinic, and found so much joy in my work. I fell in love with gossiping at the nurses station, my coffee conversations with my PA and attending, and getting to meet so many patients who never gave up even when they had to undergo another round of chemo. Like many other rising seniors this summer, I got a glimpse of the “after undergrad” life, and it kept me motivated to finish strong, although I was already so eager to contribute everything I had learned to a world outside college.

My best friend, also studying for the MCAT while in her hometown Toronto, helped me make an Instagram account called @MCAT_caffeine where we would explore coffee shops in Boston and Toronto and share them with our followers (my mom and I think 6 other people?). I probably looked like a crazy person when I visited these places, sometimes crouching down to get a good picture of my latte or trying to discreetly snap a photo of the bakery items that day. But I didn’t care. I was finding happiness in the little things the city of Boston gave me that summer.

As I write this, I don’t know what score I received yet on my test. But I know I worked hard and tried my best. BU helped me prepare, and my desire to become a physician pushed me the rest of the way. Not to be dramatic, but there were definitely some low points. Looking back on the summer, however, most of what I can remember is kayaking down the Charles river, trying new coffee every week, going out to bars after I finalllllyyyy turned 21, and just being grateful to have the opportunity to experience Boston in a different light.

*Side note: if any reader has coffee questions, MCAT studying questions, or just any thoughts they want to share with me, I’d love to hear! You can contact me at my email: emmank@bu.edu

My Experience with the Kilachand Internship Program

Bridgette Lang CAS'23

Last school year, I was awarded the Kilachand Internship Stipend in order to support my summer internship with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The stipend supported my housing, transportation, and food costs in Geneva for two months. Not only was I given funding to offset living costs, but I was given mentorship and a framework to think about social justice.

Kilachand’s interdisciplinary curriculum approach is exemplified through the Kilachand Internship Program. Like other awardees, I had the opportunity to think about social justice issues through my internship and consider advocacy in an interdisciplinary perspective. I was excited to work at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees because my social media internship combined my interest in communications and international relations. Building off my knowledge from my Kilachand course, HC302, I walked into my internship very aware of how important it was to give refugees agency, and ultimately, let them tell their own stories through UNHCR communications channels.

This summer, I was able to do just that through UNHCR’s social media. With such a wide-reaching platform and a large number of stakeholders engaged with our work, I have ensured that our content and outputs are carefully selected and captioned, representing various stories, backgrounds, and regions. I've also helped with strategic campaigns, like the launch of our 2022 Education Report and World Humanitarian Day, by creating social media plans, drafting copy, and selecting photos. Outside of these short-term tasks, I also monitor UNHCR’s country-level and staff personal accounts. All in all, I have seen the overwhelmingly positive impact of social media in sharing the voices of refugees; the supportive comments and engagement everyday are a sign of people understanding our work and how they can become better advocates.

I am incredibly thankful that I’ve had the chance to live abroad and work on a topic that I’m very passionate about. If your internship is unpaid and related to social justice, I highly suggest that you look into this opportunity and start gathering your application materials for when it opens this winter. You can learn more here: https://www.bu.edu/khc/for-current-students/experiential-learning/kilachand-internship-program/

Navigating Summer Internships and Jobs

By Bridgette Lang (CAS'23)

There are a handful of universal goals that most students have as they enter their freshman year of college: make friends, join a club, and obtain professional experience by the time they graduate. While all of us encountered COVID-19 as a bump in the road, many students here at the Kilachand Honors College still set out to reach their goal of working in their respective field through an internship or job. Furthermore, they adjusted, adapted, and learned to better themselves in a challenging environment.

Hear from some members of the Class of 2023 about what they did this summer:

Anika Brahmbhatt, Dual Degree in Media Science and Psychology

“I found my internship at MyHealthTeams through the College of Communication newsletter! Over the summer, I worked 20 hours per week writing medical and health content to be posted on 40+ social networking sites for people with chronic conditions. Now, I am continuing to write for the company on a freelance basis. I have gotten to learn about writing for search engine optimization, collaborating with a whole team of content creators, and of course, about how medical conditions impact people and their families’ daily lives.”

Tatiana Jose-Santos, Majoring in Psychology

“My internship was with a Boston-based company called Klarity. I found the opportunity through a friend in the Kilachand Honors College that also interned there. I worked throughout the summer full-time, mainly writing content for our website launch. I helped write a comprehensive guide on sales and marketing strategies and best practices for small to medium businesses and learned a ton about SEO marketing. I was also able to learn video editing, how to use HubSpot for email automation, and how to use different mediums, like Canva, to create graphics. Now, I am still working part-time as a content writer and am currently applying to more marketing internships for spring and summer.”

Leah Dobres, Majoring in Sociology on the Pre-Med Track

“In the fall of 2020, knowing that I was going to begin my sophomore year at home, I was interested in finding a job where I would gain experience working in a hospital. I did research into all of the hospitals in my area and positions they were hiring for, ultimately sending in upwards of twenty applications for various positions. I was hired as a unit clerk and telemetry technician at a long-term acute care hospital (LTAC). LTAC care is utilized for patients who are ready to be discharged from hospitals as we typically think of them but still need skilled care and close observation around the clock. As a unit clerk, I worked at the front desk on the unit where I wore many different hats. I answered phone calls, arranged transportation, scheduled outpatient appointments, scanned paperwork, responded to patient call lights, helped with staff communication, just to name some of my typical daily tasks. Additionally, as a telemetry technician, my job was to constantly monitor heart rate monitors and vital signs of about 20 patients at a time and page the proper staff if I noticed anything wrong (which happened often, as our patients were quite ill). In this position, every day was a different adventure, and I truly never knew what to expect when I walked into the hospital. I also gained so much experience from working at the hospital, learning about how a hospital functions and everyone’s roles. It was also a great way to get experience in the field I ultimately hope to go into, to make connections with healthcare professionals, to have something to do during the pandemic and to make some money.”

What to do the Summer After Your Senior Year

By Bridgette Lang (CAS’23)

The summer before you enter your freshman year of college can be a confusing time. You made a decision for your future, but now what? For the first time ever, you won’t have assigned summer work, meaning that you have a lot more free-time. Though it may seem like you have all of the time in the world, it’s still important to ration out some time for activities to prepare yourself for your first year of college! Here are some of my suggestions about what you should do the summer after your senior year:

1. Get a part time job

Getting a part time job doesn’t sound like the most exciting way to spend your last summer of freedom, but working during the summer can set you up well for the school year. It’s no secret that Boston is an expensive city, and having some spending money can’t hurt to offset some of those costs.

2. Learn skills to become more independent

Use your parents as a resource while you can! Do you have questions about how to open up your first credit card? Or maybe you’re just unsure how often you need to wash your sheets. College is your first step into adulthood, so ask questions before you get there. I’m sure your parents will love getting a phone call from you during the semester, but maybe they won’t be as happy if you are asking them how to clean the toilet two months into the semester.

3. Set up professional social media accounts

You might already have a Linked In or Handshake account, but if you don’t, go set one up now. Creating your account and entering in some basic information before you get to school will help you get a head start. Instead of creating an entire account when you’re looking for a summer internship in the fall, you can simply update your profile.

4. Make your Boston bucket list

If you’re not from Massachusetts, Boston has a lot of new sights for you to explore. If you make a bucket list over the summer, you can try to stop by everything that you want to see. You can maybe even make a one year and a four year bucket list. You’ll never get bored!

5. Find clubs to join and activities outside of class

In high school, I’m sure you participated in clubs that helped enhance your academic experience, but college offers a wider variety of clubs, organizations, and activities. It could be useful to evaluate what activities you enjoyed and what other ones you didn’t have an attachment to. Is there anything new that you want to try that wasn’t available at your high school? Check out BU’s full list of clubs here:

https://www.bu.edu/admissions/why-bu/student-life/student-activities/

6. Give your brain a rest

Every single summer, I am sure that you’ve been given summer work by your teachers. Reading five chapters of your AP textbook, writing three papers for your summer reading books, and solving math problems is what my summers normally looked like. With that being said, it's important to give your brain a break from learning and do what you enjoy. Congratulate yourself for what you’ve accomplished, and give yourself the space and time to reflect on your journey so far.