Two weeks of experiencing student life in a real campus, going to university classes, learning local traditions, exploring Cluj, creating lifelong friendships, talking directly to peers attending your dream university and perhaps taking a bath in the Someş river are some of the things you get to be a part of if you choose to attend Junior Summer University during your summer holiday between your 11th and 12th grade. If you are interested in going, or at least curious to know what is happening there, here is some of my experience, which can help you get prepared, however, I do not plan on spoiling anything, as one of OSUBB's(The Student Organisation of UBB) favourite thing to do was to surprise us (80% of the time when we had to do something we basically proceeded blind because it was a ‘surprise’).
The Faculties’ Tour:
The first 3 days were the most unenjoyable. We had to visit all the faculties of UBB even though we didn't have any interest in most of them. I think what made it worse was walking and running up and down hills, in the middle of the summer. We were all so exhausted and it was just too hot, and I definetly do not miss those days.
(At the end of the day, we understood why we had to participate in that tour, but it still wasn’t a great experience). After that we had different group activities, social events and university courses.
Courses:
I was part of the Chemestry and Chemical Engineering University. I went there a little unsure whether i was actually going to enjoy it or not, because it wasn't my first option, but I can guarantee I ended up not regretting a thing. For the starting course we went straight to the laboratory and made by ourselves handcream and shampoo. (i can only vouch for the hand cream and I promise it was so moistruising and it smelled great). On the second day we visited a big company and were given a tour of the factory. Third course was definitely a favourite, not only did we talk about chocolate but we also had a chocolate tasting. Sadly after that I went down with a flu and I did not participate at the last two courses but I was told they were fun as well.
Coordinators
Probably one of the best part about this summer university is the coordinators. The whole thing is organised by students, some older than us by only one or two years. This made the environment more comfortable, as they could understand us better and know what we liked. At the same time it is easier to talk to someone closer in age than let's say a professor 20 years older than us. While during activities we had complete trust in them and their organisational skills, the rest of the time they were simply our friends. The whole atmosphere was more enjoyable and even when we felt like giving up because we were tired, they always found a way to motivate us not to.
Recommendations:
One thing i fully recommend is to sleep the days leading up to the camp, because you will be a little overworked during the activities and also not get much sleep during those 2 weeks. You have to bring a fan (or two or three, because mine broke during the first few days), the most comfortable shoes you have because you will WALK, a lot, like really A LOT. Markers, and keep them on you at all times, this is not a must but I personally felt like it would have been so much better if I had a few.
Walking so much, sleeping so little consumes lots of energy so our immune system is weaker than usual and 350 people in one place leads to viruses and bacteria spreading very fast so I suggest to start taking vitamins before going but also keep taking them there and have on hand medicine if you feel any symptoms, curing the cold before it gets to a point were you can not get out of bed, like It happened to me.
Parties:
Don't worry, it is not only walking and courses, there are also a few parties, usually themed. This depends from year to year but this year the themes were: Sun&Moon, Summer-ween, Kitsch, What you would wear at university(I was really proud of this one because I had a lab coat) and White T-shirt. They were all so fun, great music, each held in a different place and the overall vibes were great.
More:
These were not the only activities, we went around the city, had a water fight and so many more but I believe part of the experience was not knowing what we were about to do so I don't want to give away much more.
Overall JSU was unforgettable and I would go back in a heartbeat. I have formed great friendships, made incredible memories and cried lots of tears leaving. This might not be the case for everyone, but JSU is also what made me decide that I want to study in Cluj, at UBB.
(P.S. if you want to know more information on how to apply or have any questions regarding JSU, feel free to dm me on instagram @alexialiafirca)
Alexia-Lia Firca 12A
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