What I did this summer (currently writing from Spain)

For me, summer school had the effect of making a university that feels smaller and smaller seem even more personal as I continue my college experience.

If I had known earlier what a blast Chapel Hill was going to be in the summer, I would have spent the summer after my freshman year there as well. I went home the summer after my freshman year, and I was rather bored and definitely very anxious to get back to school around the first of August. This past summer, I packed up my room in the Chi O house after my last exam (which was May 2 nd!!!) and my friends and I headed off to the beach to celebrate the successful completion of the school year. Most of us were staying in Chapel Hill for at least part of the summer, and it was a great way to kick things off!

Summer school at UNC is set up as two five-week sessions during which students can take as many as two classes (classes meet five days a week, so more than two would definitely be difficult to manage).

First summer session, I took a Spanish literature class that I absolutely loved! I worked hard, but the effort was worth it because I had such a fabulous professor. The class was relatively small (about 12) and because we saw each other for an hour and a half every day, I got to know the other students pretty well. UNC is a big school, and one thing that I am constantly trying to do is get involved in activities to make the school feel smaller. In doing this, I do not mean to limit my experience at all, but rather make it more intimate and help me to more or less carve out my own niche.

For me, summer school had the effect of making a university that feels smaller and smaller seem even more personal as I continue my college experience. There are not as many people on campus during the summer as there are during the school year, and therefore, I saw the same faces over and over again. I met so many new people through class, where I lived (a really cute house just off campus), and where I hung out. Even though classes can be challenging, the attitude on campus during the summer was a little more laid back than during the school year, and I loved having the opportunity to share both the beautiful weather and fun and busy town with my friends and all the new people we met.

I did not take a class the second five weeks of summer school. Instead, I worked as a nanny for a family that lived just outside Chapel Hill. I worked many hours, but it was a great experience because I worked hard all day and then had my evenings free to chill out or go out! There are job and internship opportunities for all interests in the Chapel Hill area that range from on-campus jobs to local bars and restaurants to local firms and businesses.

Over the summer, Chapel Hill stopped feeling like a place where I go to school eight months of the year and began feeling like home. I am currently studying in Sevilla, Spain, and the thought of leaving Chapel Hill for an entire semester was really difficult for me. I´ve only been away for a little over a month now, and I miss Chapel Hill already, but spending the summer there was definitely the best way for me to get emotionally ready to leave.

Things are great in Spain so far. We have class during the week and have fallen into the habit of getting out of town and exploring the country on weekends!! Keep a lookout for more updates later on!!