Henry Abbott

Staying on campus over the summer? Here’s the inside scoop of how to make the most of it, straight from fellow students who have lived the experience.

Your stay on campus starts with a move.

Aurélie Nishimwe ’26 remembers the process being “a little stressful” since it often happens after 5 p.m. on the first day of work or research. The best way to pull off the move straight out of your nine to five?

“Pack before, be a minimalist and find a friend who has a car,” Nishimwe said. “Or, borrow a cart from the mail center!”

Liam Roehr ’25 is now a seasoned summer resident after spending two straight years in Maine. Roehr’s lone complaint of Bowdoin summers was the interim housing experience. Roehr spent two weeks in a first-year brick with no kitchen access, subsisting off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, clementines and dry cereal.

“Interim housing sucks,” Roehr said.

If you find yourself stuck in interim housing, Roehr provides some survival tips.

“Go to Freecycle [and] find a fridge of some sort,” Roehr said. “Get meal swipes from the financial aid office. If you can’t, leverage [your] friendships—even if it means smuggling food.”

Now that you’ve settled in your room in Harpswell Apartments or Brunswick Apartments, it’s time to tackle that kitchen and a summer of home-cooked meals.

“You’re gonna have to learn to budget your money and buy food. [Not] hav[ing] a car [will be] annoying, especially if you want to buy in bulk. Walmart is slightly cheaper too,” Yassine Khayati ’25 said.

Khayati added that paying for dining hall meals is also an option over the summer and gave tips on how to make the most out of this expense.

“If you pay for dining, make it worth it. Take tupperwares [and] fill them with food,” Khayati said.

Roehr also recommends Trader Joe’s frozen meals, which are especially handy if you’ve been cooking in a lab all day instead of a kitchen.

Once you’ve sorted out logistics, you can dive into the vibrant campus and social life of Bowdoin summers.

“It’s a way different time and campus than it is in the academic year. There’s a lot of group bonding, like going to Popham [Beach] or Schiller [Coastal Studies Center] on the weekends,” Roehr said. “In the summer, the world and Brunswick opens up in a way we’ve never seen it before. Having a bike and nice weather unlocks a huge part of the area that you can go explore. I bike to Simpson’s [Point] every single weekend just to decompress and relax.”

“My first summer here was almost magical,” Khayati said. “As a first year, you’re still figuring out how to live your life socially, and it’s only in the summer where things slow down. I made a really nice group of friends and started to find myself.”

According to Khayati, it’s also a perfect opportunity to host and get creative.

“I invited a bunch of people [to] watch ‘Memento’ [and] ordered eight pizzas. The walk to pick [them] up was really fun,” Khayati said.

Nishimwe also highlighted opportunities for parties and other student gatherings over the summer.

“I remember when the Barbie movie came out, a group of students hosted a Barbie themed party,” Nishimwe said.

She also recalls Fourth of July parties, campus office-sponsored pizza nights and a dance party hosted by her friend Seamus Woodruff ’26.

Spending a summer on campus turned Nishimwe into a beach connoisseur.

“If you want vibes, music on the beach and swimming, [Old Orchard Beach is] perfect,” Nishimwe said.

For a more quiet experience, she recommends Popham Beach.

“If you’re going there for sunrise or sunset, that’s your place,” Nishimwe said.

She also recommends the Botanical Gardens (and bringing cash, or you might find yourself turning to local parents for an extra dollar), the Yarmouth Clam Festival—featuring rides, food and a clam mascot—and Acadia National Park for outdoor fun (you can get gear from the Bowdoin Outing Club).

Amongst Khayati’s recommendations were Sewell Pond, where you can jump off a rope swing, Merritt Island for camping and Boston to see the Fourth of July fireworks. Meanwhile, Roehr recommends Tumbledown Mountain, where you can swim and eat wild blueberries.

He also swears by The Scratch Baking Company in South Portland.

“You have to get whatever item they have ‘of the day,’” Roehr said. “One day, [it was] pizza on fresh focaccia. [Another day, I had] a cherry almond bear claw the size of my head; it was the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

Ultimately, Roehr said that he strongly recommends the Bowdoin summer experience.

“If you have the opportunity to [stay over the summer], take it,” Roehr says. “That’s what made me feel the most comfortable and at home at Bowdoin, and I’d do it over again in a heartbeat—except it gets hot, so be ready for that.”

Anxious to get your summer started? Now that you’ve gotten the insider tips, there are many cool people you can join for fun adventures and new friendships.

Eleanor Adams ’27 and Hannah Crowley ’27 are starting a book club, while Felipe Perez ’27 will be hosting potluck dinners every Saturday night. Cherish Zhao ’28 plans to get an EMT license. Asha Adiga-Biro ’28 is looking for friends to summit the great heights of Mount Washington with.

J B ’28 says plans for a water gun and balloon fight are underway, and Alimah Jalloh ’28 just wants a jam session (preferably by a campfire). Shumaim Rashid ’26 hopes to drive out to the water for weekend s’mores, and Sikander Khan ’28 is down for bike rides and Hozier or The Weeknd concerts in Boston.

Happy summer, Bowdoin!