Jfc , its been a while since I ' ve laughed this much at a comment <| sep |> Fellow MA burner here . You probably won ' t get a free ticket for volunteering with a camp . That doesn ' t mean you shouldn ' t meet your local community however . Maybe you ' ll find a camp that has an awesome project that speaks to you and you just want to help make it happen . The local community also usually has the best beads on forgone tickets later on as well . YMMV , but I ' d recommend doing your own thing your first year . It ' s very liberating . you can go exploring without waiting for or worrying about your campmates if you get separated . Just think about what you would like to contribute to the community . Doesn ' t have to be anything super major . Think of your excitement and exuberance as your biggest gift . Around now is when I decided I was going and I made it happen in time . You can do it and it is a super rewarding feeling . This post has gone on long enough . If you want tips on strategy or logistics feel free to PM me . The one last tip I will give is to go to CBC in Cambridge on Tuesday nights . That ' s a Boston Burner ' s meetup . Oh . And read the survival guide . Hope to see you in the dust !