University: Boston University
City: Boston
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: Summer Sessions
The decision to do the summer semester at Boston University wasn’t difficult after hearing about the experiences of the other students who had been at BU the year before.
The courses for the summer terms are usually published in December of the previous year. Then you should start looking for suitable courses and register for BU Housing very quickly. There are very few single apartments, but if you send in your application early, you have a good chance. Course registration will then start in mid/end of March. Since some courses are very popular, it is advisable to send the complete application for the BU to Boston via MicroEdu before registering. The preparation for the complete application takes a lot of time, especially if you also have to apply for a visa. It’s all fun and it’s also interesting to prepare for studying abroad, but you shouldn’t underestimate the time involved. Check mcat-test-centers.com to see University of California San Diego.
When the registration is done, the BU will send you the I-20 and with this form you can go to the embassy. Before you have the I-20, you can already make the embassy appointment. You can also take care of all the necessary forms before the appointment is made, then you don’t really have any stress or time constraints. For the embassy appointment itself, you should plan a whole day. There’s a lot of waiting, but the interview itself isn’t as bad as you might think. It feels weird though leaving your passport there and waiting for him to come home by regular mail, not registered.
Despite the kind and quick help from MicroEdu, the organizational effort before you can even get on the plane to Boston is very large. But….you will be more than compensated. Boston is a fantastically beautiful, exciting, interesting and, for an American city, very green city. People do an awful lot of sport, are outside a lot and there is so much to discover.
You can only enter the dormitory of the university one day before the course starts and the “moving-in day” is full at the university. Many students wait until their apartment has been cleaned so that they can finally move in. Unfortunately, that also takes a lot of time and the apartments we stayed in were not that nice at first glance. But the UNI cleans everything and once you have set it up a bit at home yourself, with pictures and posters, you quickly feel at home. The buildings are old but look very nice. And don’t forget that the dorms see at least 8 students a year. What is very nice is that you live in small houses that are located in nice streets. It is easy to walk into town from campus and each road around the Commonwealth, Newbury and Boylstonstreet are very pretty. Many sidewalk cafes, restaurants and bars are within walking distance and have quite a flair. A supermarket and cinema are only 5 minutes away from the apartments.
Boston has a lot to offer: a great downtown, great nightlife, many historic houses, the Freedom Trail, the harbor… it’s a very good place to live.
But despite the many leisure opportunities, you attend the selected courses and still have to learn something. The variety of courses at the BU is simply huge and there is something for every taste. The campus is great and the classrooms are well equipped. The course level is very high in the graduate courses, but the professors are very helpful for any questions. As a German student you have to get used to the distribution of grades, where at least 25% oral participation plays a role, but you quickly find your way into everyday American university life.
The campus offers numerous sports activities such as rowing or golf, but also offers a great gym with an integrated swimming pool.
As a student, you can choose whether you want to participate in the so-called meal plan of the university and eat in the canteen on campus or whether you want to cater for yourself. The apartments have a small kitchen, in which you can easily take care of yourself during the semester.
As a conclusion, I would choose the BU again and again and, despite the outdated dorms, always want to live on campus. You quickly make contact with the American students and professors, so that settling in is not difficult and the courses are also easier for you.
Boston is a great city that I would like to visit again after my time at BU.
