I live in South Bend, Indiana, and had never been to Boston ibefore last summer. As a Midwesterner, I was hesitant about spending my summer in the East, but my apprehension was immediately overcome with the thrill of Brandeis University.

At Brandeis, everybody took one core course in science and one elective course. The core courses ranged in subject matter from biotechnology to whales and whaling to amusement park physics and to many more exciting choices. I took biotechnology, and was able to use all of the latest technological equipment that the University had available. My class even experimented with DNA! The elective courses were also varied and included law, scuba diving, orchestra, and writing. All of the teachers were specialized in their area and full of energy and fun. None of the courses was for credit, so there was no stress put on homework or assignments in class.

The purpose of the courses was not only to learn in class, but to apply the knowledge to the outside world. I went to a genetics research facility, M.I.T., the Science Museum, the Boston Court House, and many other interesting places. Other students visited amusement parks and the beach.

Besides going on class trips, everybody went out with their dorm floors and with the program as a whole. I saw a baseball game at Fenway Park, walked around Harvard Square many times, ate at Pizzeria Uno, went to Quincy Market, walked around the Boston Commons, and saw many live whales on a whale watch excursion!

Brandeis has a gorgeous campus, and there were always many sports to play. There was swimming, water polo, volleyball, football, basketball, tennis, and I even learned how to play squash! If one enjoyed being inside, there was a television and a ping pong table. There was never a dull moment during the day.

The best part about Brandeis were the friendships I made. Everyone was truly a unique individual with a variety of interests and backgrounds. There were people at Brandeis from every corner of the United States. Even today, the highlight of my week is to receive mail from my friends I made last summer.

I truly encourage anybody who wants to have a thrilling and memorable sophomore, junior or senior summer to attend the Summer Odyssey Program at Brandeis University. n