Application process
The application process was very easy thanks to MicroEDU. I contacted the supervisor for the summer sessions by e-mail. I was sent a list with all the information necessary for an application. In particular, the complex application for a visa was no problem thanks to the instructions and went smoothly. Applying to the university was also very easy. I have submitted all the forms (here too the supervisor was always very helpful with questions over the phone).
The application for a place in a student dormitory should be submitted directly from the start of the deadline. Unfortunately there are only limited places for the different dormitories and especially if you want to have air conditioning in the apartment during the summer session or if you prefer a single room to a group room, you should apply directly. I did that too and was taken dormitory for my request.
Studies and courses
My courses were ‘ Economics of the Labor Market ‘ and ‘ Empirical Economics II ‘. Both at bachelor level. Get more information about Boston University on educationvv.
The course on the job market was very interesting because I hadn’t learned anything about the American job market from studying in Germany. However, one should take into account that in America in general the economics courses are very qualitative in the Bachelor’s degree and mathematics is rarely considered, so no comparison to Germany, where many economic models are discussed.
The econometrics course is a great thing if you want to learn STATA. Various statistical methods are discussed there and tried out directly on the data set. This means that the training is much more applied than in Germany and prepares you perfectly for a scientific career, especially in economics.
For grading system still following to say:
In the summer session there is a midterm (30% of the grade) after 3 weeks and the finals (30% of the grade) after a further 3 weeks. The remaining 40% of the grade consisted of homework, participation and a project. So not everything is due to an exam at the end of the semester like in Germany. Personally, I think that’s better, because you always have to stay on the ball to do your homework.
The support of the lecturers was also great. You could make an appointment at any time or contact us by e-mail if there were any questions, of course this was also possible during the lecture. Overall, the teaching is structured more like in school. There were 10-15 students in my courses. Most of these were also international students or BU students who wanted to shorten their studies with the summer session or had to repeat courses that had not been passed. So a colorful mix of different nations, all of whom were very open-minded. So I have a lot of interesting students from all over the world got to know. The only students who struck me negatively were Chinese. Unfortunately, they always stayed with their compatriots and didn’t like speaking English to other people.
Although it was often said that a summer school was very stressful, I had a lot of free time. I had the lectures Monday through Wednesday. In the morning from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and in the evening from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. This resulted in 4 free days, which, however, were used after the second week for learning the midterms and the project. But there was still enough free time to look at the city or the country.
On-site support
The on-site support was also very good. There is a contact person who is responsible for all international students. She is also in contact with MicroEDU. In the first week there was an information event in which everything important for the visa and complete enrollment was explained. Actually, this event is superfluous because MicroEDU has already provided all the information. Some excursions were organized, but I did not take part because I preferred to explore the city or the country with my fellow students and roommates.
Accommodation
The apartment was wonderful, at most a bit cold at night as the air conditioning could not be turned on. As mentioned by MicroEDU, you have to bring everything (!) Yourself or buy it on site. I lived with two other Summer Sessions students, one from Singapore and the other from New York.
Leisure
Boston is a city that has a lot to offer and is also very well organized in terms of infrastructure. In the summer it is worth visiting a RedSox game or kayaking on the Charles River. There are more than enough options for shopping! The other universities such as Harvard and MIT are also recommended. These are very impressive buildings and beautiful to look at.
The BU’s fitness studio really has it all. In addition to the normal strength and endurance equipment, you can do many other things there: swimming, tennis, skwosch, badminton, basketball, soccer, climbing, bouldering, kayaking, athletics and rowing.
In conclusion, it can be said that Boston is a very foreigner-friendly city. I was welcomed in an open and friendly manner everywhere. The people are very helpful and are always very interested in Europeans and especially Germans.
Since we won the World Cup at the time, I was the only German in my courses from that point on I was the hero. Americans celebrate such sporting events much more emotionally than one is used to here.
It was a very nice experience to be able to experience the festival on July 4th. Big fireworks in the city which could be seen perfectly from the 26th floor of the dormitory.
