I was hesitant at first, to spend an entire four-month period on campus, in addition to already seven months of living in the Yale bubble. I say "Yale bubble" in a positive way -- a bubble full of brilliant, kind, interesting people, amazing facilities and places to explore -- but it is a bubble nonetheless. Without a car, it is difficult to get off campus and to interact with everyday society. But you can see how many students would be hesitant to spend what seems like an entire year locked in a bubble, when there are opportunities like study abroad and international internships to be taken during the summer, a time that is designated to allow students to take a break from living the life of a Yale student.
However, it is difficult to overlook the amazing opportunities that are offered on Yale’s campus during the summer. The amazing research that is happening all year long, in every possible department, allows undergraduate students to work as assistants or fellows to the principle investigators. This hands-on experience with what is often breakthrough research is something that is unique to only the top universities in the nation. Doing research in a subject that you are passionate about seems like a pretty amazing deal, and is an opportunity not many students in the world have.
There also exist internships with the offices at Yale, as well as teaching opportunities for summer programs, and athletic opportunities to train with the teams and trainers of Yale. Staying on campus for the summer offers so much more than people tend to realize.
The weather is beautiful, the campus is less stressful, and the city is vibrant, full of many summer events. New Haven, and Yale for that matter, is a different place in the summer. It is not a bubble of students but feels so much more interactive with what is happening in the surrounding city of New Haven. Honestly, without the busy, stressful, and tense atmosphere that can often be found on campus during the school year, the summer at Yale allows students to appreciate the school so much more. To appreciate the stunning campus, the unique city of New Haven, the amazing professors and graduate students on campus at all times, and the opportunities that Yale gives us to grow as students, professionals, and people.
Friends on campus can enhance the experience that much more during the summer. During the school year, it is often difficult to keep up with every single friend due to everyone’s packed schedule. Yet in the summer, weekends and evenings are often free for most people, and the social atmosphere is much less about grabbing a quick dining hall meal in between class, and more about going on a hike to East Rock and grabbing a delicious brunch at the Pantry afterwards.
Staying in New Haven with many of my close friends has been one of the best summers I have experienced, and the delicious food throughout New Haven does not hurt. With the variety of restaurants, your summer culinary experience is phenomenal -- a special shout out to all pizza in New Haven, you put any other pizza to shame. And a special shout out to Yale, a school that is amazing to attend, at any time of the year.