School’s Out

It’s summer in Williamsburg. Most of the student body has gone home to work, travel the globe, or hang out at the nearest beach.  But just because its summer doesn’t mean William and Mary closes down! I decided to stay on campus before my sophomore year.

As a summer research student, I’ll be on campus from late May to early August along with a few hundred other undergraduates. Admittedly, the campus is eerily quiet and Sadler Center is pretty much deserted in the middle of the day—but I’m so busy I hardly have time to notice. I have four jobs this summer—I’m an intern at the Muscarelle Museum, an admission tour guide, a member of the Spotswood Society, and a volunteer at an archaeological dig. Almost everyone I’ve talked to is doing something amazing, like researching physics, taking classes, or studying rats for kinesiology research. Students from as far as the west coast come to study at William and Mary for a few weeks, and even Tim Tebow came to coach football!

Life at William and Mary tends to be a lot more relaxed during the summer sessions. Last week the Muscarelle threw an ice cream party for all of the interns, and then we went to Busch Gardens! Yesterday my friends and I went to see the outdoor screening of Grease on Prince George Street, and the day before we picnicked at Lake Matoaka. And today, I got to meet President Reveley (again)! It’s pretty awesome to be on campus without any homework—it is an opportunity to do all the fun things you don’t have time for during the semester. This week, there will be fireworks on DoG Street and lots of root beer floats in my 2012 Colonial Williamsburg mug.

Summer session 1 just ended, which means that summer is halfway over—only one more month until I go home! But so far, living here this summer has been a great experience, both for my resume and for life skills. There is nothing like cooking three meals per day to make you realize you’re a legal adult. I hope everyone is having a great break, and next year, consider a summer in Williamsburg!