Well it's nearing the half way point of my stay in Boston and I can safely say that I have not had one thing to grumble about. I am loving every minute and each week brings new sites and challenges, in and out of work. We recently said farewell to the fellows that were staying in Boston and although we have only known them just short of three weeks, our time with them was great. They looked after us, gave us advice on things to do, invited us to BBQ’s and were very friendly and inviting. It was a shame to see them leave so soon after we arrived, but I guess its now our chance to completely throw ourselves into the Boston life and spread our connections further.

There is a strong network of interns working in Genzyme and they organize regular meetings and events to give everyone the chance to meet each other. This weekend gone there was supposed to be charity car wash for the Jimmy Fund, but unfortunately it has been rescheduled due to rain. The Genzyme interns, including myself involve ourselves with G.I.V.E (Genzyme invests in volunteer efforts) to help raise money and awareness for the Jimmy Fund and also to gain the opportunity to get to know other interns throughout the company.

One thing I have learnt whilst being over here working is that there are systems in place in colleges and Universities that provide huge support and help for the transition from being a student to being employed full time. There is so much enthusiasm and motivation about furthering yourself and actually being the best you can. It’s infectious to be around and it makes you realize that you really can achieve anything you put your mind to. I feel that the support that is available here, in the States, is somewhat lacking back in Scotland. From talking to the American interns I have found that all through their school life they are encouraged to take as many work placements and internships as possible to obtain a clear and determined idea about what you want from life and how you can get there. The majority of people have taken internships every year of their University life and also some courses, known as ‘co-ops’ include mandatory 6 month placements during term time and summer. Even during the smallest of events such as classroom work everybody is encouraged to interact and provide their own ideas, being involved in the session in order to get the most out of it. At one intern event I attended, there were rewards of tickets to the Museum of Science were given to those who had the courage to voice their own opinions on a subject. Even the fact that major companies are willing to take on interns throughout the year, grateful even, is a huge difference. The mentality here is that in order to get anywhere you need the experience and experience is what there is on offer for most. Compared to Scotland where the mentality is still that in order to get anywhere you need experience, but the difference is that companies are not willing enough to take on more interns or sacrifice some time to help further the students of Scotland. I feel that Scottish graduates would benefit so much more from being given the support that there is here and from my own experiences I believe that, although we do have careers services available, we lack the backing and pushes along the way that spark the self belief and drive that motivates you to go and do instead of think about. Those people who do have the self motivation to get out and find themselves work experience are definitely in the majority in the UK, which is why I realize how grateful I am for this experience. It is such a different mind set that drives America to be the best and actually being in this environment I can see and feel how well it works and how inspiring it is.