The YYGS website tells you about lectures, the global connections, and inspired minds . But it does not capture the real moments at the YYGS program, the basement common rooms, the new family you will make, and the surprising lessons you learn between classes. Here is my unofficial guide of YYGS.

1. The Basement Common Rooms: A Mini United Nations (More Fun and Slightly More Chaos)

Deep in the basement, the common rooms are where you get to experience the world having to get a visa or plane ticket. It is like a mini United Nations with students from over 150 countries all in one room-laughing, competing, and sharing games. You will find ping-pong tables, chess-boards, card-games, and more. One time, it turned into a competitive chess tournament. If you can survive the lively chaos here, believe me you can probably survive anything life throws at you.

2. Family Time: Your New Family (my Favorite part of YYGS)

When I saw family time, I thought to myself, this might be a time to call family back home (which makes sense) but no!, It is your support system, your go-to crew, your people (your new family basically). In my IST family, we didn’t just talk about innovation, I learned about planets, played Mafia (which, trust me, is way more intense than the lectures (just kidding). It’s where friendship feels real, fun, and sometimes a little wild yes, all at the same time.

3. Free Time: Traveling the World Without Leaving Campus

If you like traveling and meeting people from all over the world- this might be your chance to do so without a visa or plane tickets. From picnics on the courtyards to admiring the sun. One time, the courtyard turned into a vibrant karaoke party, and on another, a dance party with Afrobeats and Kpop beats. I personally even discovered that my “football-skills” back home needed an upgrade after getting introduced to American football.

4. Beyond Campus: The Unexpected Adventures of New Haven

Stepping out of campus lets you discover New Haven’s hidden gems. It could be sharing pizza with “your family”, roommates or friends, exploring New Haven at 9pm, or just soaking in Yale’s beautiful courtyards; these little moments add flavor to your summer and trust me you would never trade that experience for anything. Oh, and I even bought a book for $1 during one of these adventures, proof that the best memories sometimes come from the smallest things.

5. YYGS Time Flies: When You’re Just Getting Started, It’s Already Over

The program feels long at first, but then suddenly it’s not. Just when you’ve started enjoying - seminars, lectures, Capstone, mafia, it’s already time to say goodbye. If there’s one piece of advice: dive in from day one, because YYGS is a sprint filled with moments you’ll want to freeze forever.

The website tells you what YYGS is. This guide tells you how it feels. If you manage to attend YYGS, remember to make the most of your experience. All the best!!

Takundanashe, Zimbabwe, YYGS 2026