During the Upward Bound Math Science program at Boston University I had the best time ever. It was hard work but it paid off in the end. I am currently at North Shore Community College taking classes and I have a work-study job. My plans are to transfer to a 4-year college and major in engineering. The UBMS summer program challenged me to push myself academically, and gave me the chance to experience what it is like to be a college student. I always knew I wanted to go to college, but since neither of my parents had gone, I was not really sure what to expect. The dorms were small and hot which is not what I’m used to but staying on campus was worth it because I met a lot of great people and enjoyed my time there. It was a great experience that I could not have had anywhere else. My favorite part of the program was the summer Wednesday labs. These classes gave me the chance to do hands on lab work. Not many other high school students get to spend their days doing experiments in biotechnology labs. The undergraduate students who worked as tutors helped out a lot too, they were there all the time, and I never had so much support in my life. My favorite summer class was calculus. I really enjoyed every bit of this class because I had an excellent teacher, and she made it easy to understand. The word calculus scared me a little at first but soon after I found it to be a breeze. This program taught me to work hard every day, and always do my best. Additionally, the senior workshop helped me a lot with college applications, financial aid paperwork and preparing for life after high school. I cannot imagine what I would do if I hadn’t joined UBMS and taken part in the senior workshop class. This part of the program helped me out a lot, and it answered all of my questions and concerns about life after high school. My high school was big and I couldn’t really get help with college information as conveniently as I did at UBMS. Being a part of UBMS gave me the confidence to know that I am college material and that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I am so glad that I took part in this program; it changed me a lot, and motivated me to do better.