Spring Forward!
Veronika Bordas
Claes Nobel Academic Scholarship Recipient
Harvard University
Spring at college is, in large part, characterized by the frenzy of students looking for summer opportunities. Just as "where are you from" was the conversation starter in the fall of freshman year, in the spring, for all students, is "what are you doing this summer?" It's surprising how free college summers appear – three entire months for whatever you might decide to do. Although it may be tempting to spend that time at home, taking a break from any kind of work whatsoever, there is some pressure to do something, since everyone else is doing so. What kind of opportunities are there? For freshmen, the most popular options are studying abroad, doing research, or getting a summer internship. A summer internship is often hard to obtain right after freshman year since companies will prefer upperclassmen, as an internship is in part about recruiting. Research is very appealing because you get to work alongside with a professor on a very current topic, and studying abroad will get you credits just as if you were taking the courses during the term. The key in looking for summer activities is to be constantly on the lookout, since you might not know what you will be doing.
My summer had a wonderful start, with a trip to Switzerland for the St. Gallen Symposium, held this year on The Power of Natural Resources. I had found out about the opportunity to apply to this essay competition from an email list that I am subscribed to, and after I applied, I was fortunate enough to be selected as a finalist. I learned and experienced much about Swiss culture (including a short trek up the Alps in a snowstorm). The symposium itself was incredible, as I met nearly 200 other students and hundreds of business leaders from around the world to debate about a global topic we were all very passionate about, and we had very renowned speakers to spark our thoughts and conversations.
After a brief stay at home after my return from Switzerland, I left for Venice, Italy, to study abroad with the Harvard Summer School. This was a program that I learned about from a study abroad fair that I attended on campus. The program interested me very much, as I would be in Venice for six weeks, taking a couple of Harvard courses for credit. The program had 50 American and 50 Italian students, which was neat because during the day we would go to class together, and after that they would show us around the city. I thoroughly enjoyed both of my economics/business courses, and I also made good use of the beginner Italian course that my program offered. With my knowledge of Spanish as well as with the class, I was able to gain good enough proficiency in Italian that I could carry on conversations with locals. I went on a few day trips to cities just outside Venice, to see Roman ruins and medieval monuments, but I did not spend all of my weekends travelling throughout Italy, as I wanted to savor Venetian life without worrying about the rush of travel. I was flattered when, about three weeks into my stay, I had tourists asking me for directions! Living in Venice without the time pressure that tourists have to see the "highlights" – the Rialto, il Ponte di Sospiri, Piazza San Marco – was incredible for me. It is quite different knowing the things about a city that only locals can know, such as where to buy the cheapest groceries, how the vaporetti (water buses) run, and walking around the city without having a map and guidebook constantly in hand.
After my exams in Venice, I left for two weeks to Spain to sightsee. I am fluent in Spanish, but I have never been to a Spanish-speaking country, so this trip was quite an experience. What was very interesting for me was seeing many of the companies that I had learned about in my business Spanish class from spring semester, as I had never heard about these companies before. Both in Italy and in Spain, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the cultures that I had only heard about from friends or read about in books. Finally, before heading back to school, I spent some time at home with my family, catching my breath between flights.
What you might do in the summers of your college years is very exciting to think about, as there really are so many possibilities. At the same time, this means that it is important to start to look for opportunities early on, so that you know exactly what you can choose from. Finally, enjoy yourself! Be productive, but also remember to relax and to have fun.