The summer at Yale means lots of different things to different students. For some, it means flying to a different country. For others, it means a short drive to their hometown. Figuring out the summer can be daunting; it’s hard to know exactly what to do with this big chunk of time between semesters.
In your first year, it can be especially difficult to navigate the mystique of summer internships and study abroad opportunities, so I talked to a few of my fellow first-years about their summer plans.
Caitlin
Major: Urban Studies and Modern Middle East Studies
What are you planning to do this summer: I am going to study abroad in Turkey to study Turkish. I’m really interested in modern Turkish society and I think next summer I want to go back and do some field work there.
Dani
Major: Anthropology and Art History
What are you planning to do this summer: I am working an internship at Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History called “Communicating the Collection”. I’m going to be visiting the different collections at the Peabody and the people who specialize in them. I’ll research those collections and then come up with social media posts about them. I’ll basically be exploring the most effective way to write and communicate about objects.
Jordan
Major: Undecided
What are you planning to do this summer: I plan on going back home and teaching kids how to swim for the first couple of months. Then I’m looking into an opportunity where I can work in exchange for food and housing in a different part of the US or abroad. Outside of that I plan to do a lot of reading, exercising, and visiting family.
Cecilia
Major: Mechanical Engineering
What are you planning to do this summer: I’ve applied to a bunch of jobs and I’m currently waiting to hear back; one is a lab near home and I also applied to some NASA internships. The lab would be working with C coding and hydroponic systems and NASA would be either software development or mechanical design.
Elon
Major: Undecided
What are you planning to do this summer: I’m doing an internship with a Jewish organization because I really want to make a difference with my community. Also perhaps a tour with the Russian Chorus because I’m really excited to share our music with an international audience.
There you have it. While summer can be an exciting time to participate in research, learn from an internship, or travel abroad it’s also a valuable chance to relax, work a part-time job, or volunteer in the community.
