5 Things We Wish We’d Known During Bootcamp

Five things Newhouse master's students are saying about boot camp…

The summer doesn’t last forever! Absolutely get out into Syracuse and enjoy the summer months. The winter can be pretty tough with snow and wind chills; take advantage of the outdoors—even if boot camp has you wiped out—and visit the Finger Lakes, Onondaga Park, and Niagara Falls.
MEET EVERYONE! NETWORK WITH OTHER PROGRAMS! During the summer, Newhouse is empty; you’re pretty much exclusively with other graduate students. Take the time to meet them and bond with them. You never know who you'll meet in the career world after Newhouse–or even if the person you spoke to briefly at one summer party became a friend months later.
Just say "yes." Boot camp is a 6-week course, often 8 hours a day for most of the week, designed to "level the playing field" for everyone. But it's also the perfect time to say yes to everyone and everything. Go to that party, even if you're tired. Agree to write that story or design that poster; attend as many discussions and lectures as possible; and go adventuring as often as possible. When the full semesters begin, balancing work, academics, family, friends and everything else is suddenly much tougher.
Be professional. You're with your future coworkers, industry leaders, bosses–make sure you're professional, friendly, and kind the whole way through.
Enjoy every last second. Because six months later, you're missing it so much! Take advantage of it–don't regret not taking advantage of the Summer II session.