Sunday, January 17, 2010





I have absolutely no idea. None. How am I supposed to decide what I'm going to do this summer? I'm constantly worried about making the wrong decision; mostly, because I'd absolutely hate to miss out on an amazing opportunity. But the truth is, I think that the big problem here is that they're all such amazing opportunities, and I'm way too indecisive for these kinds of things.

So far, I've been able to narrow it down to a couple of programs, but I'm still in the middle of really narrowing it down to anything definitive. And I
need help. ASAP.



Choice #1: London School of Economics.

This one's mostly me thinking ahead about when I'm applying to graduate schools. I mean, how seriously cool is it that I've taken classes at LSE. One of the largest financial centers & top places to study in the world (which is silly, considering that I'm already going to Yale, of all places).
  • Pros? It's London!! As an economics major, shouldn't I be visiting this place eventually? And from a touristy point of view, I get to see beautiful sights like Big Ben, visit a museum, and take a cute picture in a telephone booth!
  • Cons? Am I really about to take classes at LSE... and the super intermediate ones, at that. What if there are crazy intense people there? Or they don't have Econ tutors available every night like Yale does (which I highly doubt they do)? Plus, the credits only come in as a plain credit, as in not A-F, so it won't even help my GPA. Or, then again, it might not HURT my GPA.... which might go into the pros section....

Choice #2: The American University in Cairo.


Why? Because I've always had a fascination with Egyptians. I guess it goes back to elementary school dreams of becoming a famous archaeologist, but either way, when will I ever get to see a pyramid?! There are several free student trips that take you out to different parts of Egypt with the other students, but...

  • Pros: Pyramids, museums, learning Arabic, visiting a place I might otherwise never go to. I think these are pretty huge pros to begin with.
  • Cons: Arabic is a crazy language. I'd honestly have to learn a gajillion squiggles and their significance. Don't get me wrong, it sounds and looks beautiful, but I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to learn to read something that looks like an intricate picture up close to me right now. Plus, exactly how often am I using this language? Actually, a pro, particularly if I'm an econ major who knows this stuff. Actually. Definite pro.


Choice #3: Yale Summer Session in Brazil.


This one's supposed to be one of the easier sessions, and since I already speak Spanish and know a little of Portuguese, I'm definitely looking to this one as a GPA booster. A much needed GPA boost. And it's Rio de Janeiro...

  • Pros: Beaches in Brazil! Even though it's technically winter time there, it's definitely still warm enough for some beaches. It comes highly recommended by everyone. And it might just be a tad easier for me than learning Arabic. And did I mention A's that actually go towards my GPA? 3 credits worth!
  • Cons: .... THIS language might not help me much... or at all. So few countries even speak it and I already know Spanish and French. And I'll only be taking language classes and a culture course. So I'm probably looking to this as the "fun" and less-than useful choice.



So, if anyone has a suggestion, pleeeeease feel free to make one. I'm dying here and the clock is tick-tick-ticking. Of course, if there's a different program you find on the website: http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/international/opportunities/type/study/index.html,
feel free to share and make my decision-making that much worse!

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