University: Boston University

City: Boston

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Field of study: business administration

Study type: Summer Sessions

Hello, everyone,

I attended a summer session at Boston University this year, with all the registration and preparation going through MicroEdu.

At the time, I had finished 10th grade at high school, so I’m still going to upper school for two more years. That was also one of the reasons why I chose Boston University, as it also offers the possibility of a summer session for students without a high school diploma/university entrance qualification. Check mcat-test-centers.com to see UNSW Sydney.

Personally, I found the registration very strenuous at first, but this eased over time. In particular, you need evaluations and letters of recommendation from two teachers, which at least in our school are not often issued. Like any other international student, I had to apply for a visa, which overall went smoothly. A little tip could be that you go there as soon as possible after the confirmation from the university, just to make sure you get an appointment in time, since it also takes a few days until you finally have the visa in your hand. Melanie Kucharczyk from MicroEdu gave me very good support throughout the entire application process, starting with the programs available for students through the Applicationrequirements to communication with the university – many thanks at this point.

Since I’m not a college student yet and was/am still 16 years old, I attended the High School Honors program at BU, where everyone was between the ages of 16-18. We lived in the so-called Warren Towers“, the largest accommodation option at the BU. In this way, I was able to quickly make friends with many new people from the dorm. Everyone had a roommate, although I personally was very lucky because my roommate also became my best friend. I can’t complain about the canteen in the Warren Towers either, even if it often wasn’t particularly varied. Morning entrees included pancakes, omelettes, fruit salad, bacon, scrambled eggs, bagels, and a variety of cereals. At lunchtime and in the evening the buffet basically consisted of a salad and a sandwich bar, burgers, noodles, burritos and Asian cuisine. In my program you could choose between a 19 and a 14 meal plan per week. The main difference was that

The main attraction in the Warren Towers was the so-called ” AC Room “.“, which was especially appreciated on the many hot days (34° Celsius) due to the air conditioning and the television. This was usually also the meeting point for “chilling out” and ending the day with friends, especially at the weekend. Right next door was the laundry room with plenty of dryers and washing machines for a small price per wash. What I can recommend because the courses gave me a great insight into my probably future field of study is to take care of a membership for the local fitness studio (Fitrec), because it was necessary (at least for me) in addition to learning “steam to let go”. It cost $60 for the six weeks, which I think is worth it because, in addition to the fitness equipment on three huge levels (!), the studio also has a swimming pool with diving towers and lanes, many all-purpose sports halls and also opportunities for e.g. B. squash or table tennis. Overall, I really enjoyed living in the Warren Towers. What you need to know, however, is that the BU is not really a campus university, since the university buildings and also “Warren Towers” are located on the so-called “Commonwealth Avenue” and the other accommodations are in the side streets. The BU does not have huge sports facilities, as you might know from other universities, which is why I highly recommend the gym.

Now to my courses: I took two courses, “ Introduction to Business ” and “ Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis“. In the beginning I had some problems due to the English classes and the higher demands compared to a high school, but that changed after a short time. I got along very well with my business professor, who was very demanding but always approachable and answered questions very quickly, even outside of class. Classes were limited to about 25 people, with us (High School Honors) mixed in with the regular summer session students. In the business course, the lessons were very interesting and also entertaining and each lesson started with a short quiz about the passages in the book that we were supposed to read in preparation for the lesson (between 40-80 pages). The average of these quizzes accounted for 25% of the overall grade, the participation with 30% and the exam at the end of the course with 45%. In my macroeconomics course, things were a little different: we wrote 3 “big tests”, the first ones each accounting for 30% of the overall grade and the final exam for 40%. Personally, I liked the Business grading method better, but I’m still very happy with the grading of both my courses (A-).

As part of the High School Honors program, there were also occasional mandatory activities, most of which were very interesting. So right from the start we did one of the so-called “ duck tours ”, where you can see Boston on land and on the water, which I really liked. Examples of other activities (also optional) are visiting a Boston Red-Sox game, a trip to Hampton Beach, a comedy show, etc. But there is also a lot to do in Boston alone, although we were all under 21 and therefore the bars and Clubs fell away for us. Everything is super accessible with the so-called “T”, comparable to a tram / subway in Germany. You pay $2.50 to get in and then drive to your desired destination.

Prices were generally affordable, although some school books, for example, were not exactly cheap at $200. Unfortunately I had to buy these as I didn’t have a credit card and I guess you couldn’t borrow anything with a debit / prepaid credit card – so it’s a good idea to have a real credit card with you! The prices of the courses are comparable to other universities. Housing costs vary depending on the number of meals requested.

In conclusion, it can be said that I really enjoyed the summer session at the BU, I had a lot of fun meeting new people and it helped me a lot to improve my English. But the courses also gave me a great insight into my probably future field of study and I was able to acquire a lot of new knowledge in a class community that was pleasantly small by German standards. But such a summer session also contributes a lot to independence, since you are practically on your own, from arrival at the airport, through the preparations for the courses and also the search for leisure activities, to the final departure and the way home.