Kelsey Nagle
Advice to an Incoming BUDC Student
Kelsey Nagle
Summer 2015
I joined the DC program believing that I would just go through the motions of interning while getting some class credits out of the way, and would come back after two months and carry on with my life. However, DC has helped me to learn so much about myself and my views, and has helped me figure out a lot about my future. My best advice about starting a program such as BUDC is to keep an open mind and take advantage of the opportunities that will be given to you.
Watching the sunrise at the monuments- a must do!
Before I came to DC, I was a business major by default and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had switched majors so many times in my first two years at BU that I basically settled for business since it seemed general and adaptable enough for my indecisive attitude. I grew up in a suburban bubble in Michigan and came to college with no real opinion on politics or anything like that. I can honestly say I’ve learned and experienced more in the past month and a half than I have in my whole college career combined.
In life, you may end up with a job or internship you love, but not always. I landed an internship in the data analytics department at a wonderful non-profit think tank, but I went into it feeling extremely under-qualified and unsure of myself. I’m not the best with numbers or statistics, and the analytics position terrified me. However, I have gained so much work experience and support from my mentors and peers that a whole new world of jobs in analytics has now been opened up to me. On top of this, I used my time working at a think tank to expand outside of the analytics department and really immerse myself in the research that goes on at these kinds of organizations. I was able to meet mentors from foreign policy and global economy and development programs, and have learned so much about these fields that I came to DC knowing almost nothing about.
The combination of living, working, and learning in DC has helped me figure out a lot. Through the help of mentors and peers, which I met in the program, I’ve been exposed to new opportunities and paths I can take in the future. Coming out of the program, I’ve recently changed my major and expected career path, and have gained a passion for learning about new things I would have never thought I’d find an interest in. Be sure to go into your time at the BUDC program with an open mind and willingness to try new things, and expect to learn a lot about yourself as you’re immersed in an extremely fast paced and exciting new city.
Kelsey Nagle is majoring in sociology about to start her junior year.
