Pitt students reflect on their summers

For many students, summer break is a respite from the hustle and bustle of the school year — but every student has different summer plans. Megumi Barclay, a junior nonfiction English writing major said this was “the most productive summer [she’s] had.”

“I think I was a bit naive, and I packed it a little too much,” Barclay said. “I had a class the last six weeks, and I worked at a hospital, and I had this internship and I’m in a band. So it was definitely a lot, but I got a lot done.”

Senior psychology major Alyssa Caddy also said she feels like she has been productive this summer and likes the longer amount of time to work consistently. 

“I really enjoy the longer summer,” Caddy said. “It’s nice to have more time to save more money. I can use it for school or other expenses in the future.” 

Kainyn Barbine, a junior finance, accounting and business analytics major, worked at an internship this summer but said the highlight was visiting family. 

“This summer was actually pretty relaxed,” Barbine said.  “I spent a lot of time at my parents house, and I did take a trip down to Georgia to actually visit my dad’s side of the family. We went to the beach and hung out, which was a nice break from work.”

Caddy said she appreciated the length of Pitt’s summer break because she was also able to participate in a study abroad program, Pitt in Munich, in the month of May. Caddy described the Pitt in Munich program as an “unforgettable experience”

“I really enjoyed the excursions we went on,” Caddy said. “They were all very unique and helped me gain greater cross-cultural awareness that you don’t have access to here in the United States.” 

Alex Kundek, a junior biology major, spent her summer doing research at a hospital in her hometown, which was useful for her on the pre-med track.

“I got to see a lot of parts of the hospital that I didn’t have much knowledge about,” Kundek said. “I was mostly in surgeries and the trauma department, which was very eye-opening.”

Barclay spent summer in Oakland working and said her highlight of the summer was moving into an apartment.

“I liked that I got to have my own space and like, become familiar with it over the summer, instead of having to move out in May, and then move again in August,” Barclay said. “I also liked being able to hang out with my friends in the downtime that I had, and just getting to explore Pittsburgh more. I went to Squirrel Hill a lot for the food.”

Kundek said her favorite part of the summer was taking a trip to visit Picklesburgh because it is something she does not have in her hometown. 

“I really loved Picklesburgh because I loved seeing everyone from Pitt and it was just such a unique experience,” Kundek said. “It’s something you won’t find in most places, and there are so many things to see and so many people there.”

Barbine said he feels that most of his friends and peers chose to work in some capacity this summer, whether it’s an internship or hourly work. 

“I would say most of my friends have jobs and are working this summer,” Barbine said. “One of my friends has a job at the same place where I have my internship and another one of my friends got a job in the Giant Eagle deli.” 

Barclay has noticed that the lack of student presence makes a difference in getting to and from work every day.

“The crowds have definitely subsided during the summer,” Barclay said. “The lines at places are smaller and the buses in Oakland are definitely less [crowded], but still a good amount. When you go downtown, the wait for the buses are so crazy and everyone flocks onto them, so not much different there, but there’s really a difference in Oakland without student presence.”

Caddy also thinks that the longer break is a good opportunity to rest and recuperate after the school year. 

“The longer summer break is nice, especially after difficult semesters,” Caddy said. “It helps me refocus and take time for myself, because mental health is important.”