Nestled between the Charles River and the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a place that typically conjures up images of beautiful historic buildings and a sprawling, yet serene, landscaped campus.

While Harvard is typically a bustling hub of higher education during the scholastic year, its students generally don’t stay over the hot and humid summers. To combat this feeling of emptiness, Harvard opens up its doors to motivated high school students by offering a wide variety of courses and programs to suit every interest.

To prevent my own boredom that would inevitably befall me by staying in my own small town, I applied to Harvard’s 2 week Pre-College Program that would take place from June 25 to July 7.

The application seemed daunting at the time, but, in retrospect, greatly prepared me for actual college applications.

After getting the confirmation that my summer wouldn’t be spent in the confines of my hometown, I signed up for the course on International Politics, a favorite interest of mine. Then, even more excitingly, Instagram group chats full of my soon-to-be fellow Harvard classmates sprung up, allowing me the chance to befriend hundreds of fascinating people from across the world before I had even stepped through Harvard’s gates.

“I met all ages and cultures and it was so interesting to see how different my experiences are from other people but also how much I connected with everyone,” Junior Trinity Lesan of Arizona explained. “I found it really interesting being able to meet kids my age from different countries and how we still have the same favorite songs and how I could also enjoy speaking about movies [and] things we did over the weekend.”

The orientation day of the program, which is residential, was hectic. It was both the hottest day so far that summer, and the introduction into a truly immense and expansive university that exists fully within an urban environment. When I first entered the courtyard of Lowell House, I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the historic building, and found myself lost in the maze of hallways.

After traversing the entire diameter of the premise under the shadow of the bell tower, I finally found my dorm room and first met my two spectacular roommates. The dormitories were beautiful, much like their exteriors, but did have one flaw: there was no air conditioning – a problem easily remedied by a fan.

“The highlight was my roommate,” said Senior Ana Blanco of Bogata, Colombia. “She happened to be from my same city and [we] had plenty of mutual friends. We became very close and cultivated a long lasting friendship.”

The first night, despite being away from home, was incredible. It was a night of meeting a plethora of fascinating people from all across the globe, including the group of guys who’d become my closest friends, and having tacos at Felipe’s.

My class itself was during the waning hours of the afternoon, giving me ample time during the day to explore the cities of Cambridge and Boston or partake in one of the various Passport Programs offered by the university.

The instructor of my course, a PhD student from Austria, was determined to share his passion for international politics with his students while giving the students an actual college class experience. While the course hovered at about 3 hours per day, it was never dull or boring.

“Not only did I make the most amazing friends, I learned so much in my Constitutional Law class that I applied to school back home,” California Junior Leilani Ignacio stated. “I use the tactics and discussions that I learned from my professor back at home; I apply it to my AP Government class as well as the debate club I run.”

The classes would begin with either a lecture or presentation by the instructor, sometimes followed by a group discussion or work activity. Some classes were dedicated to students giving presentations (I gave one on the Israel-Iran tensions of the Middle East), others gave time to write essays or take notes on textbook chapters.

Despite being only 10 three-hour sessions, the course covered the topical equivalent of an entire semester, plus an entire textbook.

Throughout the time at Harvard, there were numerous sponsored excursions, trips, and activities in which students could attend lectures, visit museums, explore Boston, or engage in bonding activities. These activities were highlights of the experience, as they gave students the opportunity to meet others in a social setting.

“I didn’t have to try to fit in there,” Junior Lauren Black of Georgia explained. “It was almost like we all clicked and there was no judgment.”

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and in this case it meant saying goodbye to all those incredible people I’d met during my studies. However, in our modern age my new friends and I are able to stay connected via social media and routinely communicate with one another.

I would highly recommend to any motivated and hardworking student the amazing experience that taking a Harvard summer course can be. It is truly one of the best preventions for a boring summer in your hometown.