Jordan Johnson reports on his experience attending “From Physics Through Biology to Medicine” at the Michigan Math and Science Scholars Program. Jordan quickly settled in, made friends with a diverse variety of students, and was introduced to unique concepts he had never experienced before.
“The opportunity to meet so many new people from diverse places and backgrounds has been incredibly enriching. Hearing everyone’s unique stories and understanding why they decided to come here has been fascinating,” Jordan says.
“In terms of academics, the workload has been light, consisting mostly of lectures and labs. One of the labs we did on Thursday was particularly intriguing. We constructed a heat engine that utilized the energy transfer from hot water to cold water, which then powered a motor to spin a fan. The first few days of lectures were mostly review for me since I took AP Biology and Physics this year. However, the lab and lectures from Thursday and Friday introduced me to concepts I had never encountered before. My classmates all share my love and passion for science, so everyone is always engaged and enthusiastic during the lectures,” Jordan reports.
Jordan has been enjoying college life, especially the food on campus “My favorite part about living in the dorms is definitely the food. I’ve had the chance to try many different dishes that I hadn’t tried before, and everything tastes delicious. At home, I usually stick to the same types of food, so it’s been exciting to explore foods from different cultures. It’s also incredibly convenient to just walk into the dining hall and grab something to eat, rather than having to cook,” Jordan explains.
When not in class, Jordan has been able to explore the area and participate in fun activities, such as playing basketball, beach volleyball, and visiting Cedar Point Amusement part.
“I’ve already found my group of friends, and for fun, we often challenge others to basketball games or head to the game room to play ping pong. We also enjoy watching the Team USA basketball games together. Learning from the professor and the teaching assistants has been a valuable experience; they are very knowledgeable and always willing to help when needed,” Jordan says.
“Overall, this week at MMSS has been an unforgettable experience, filled with new friendships, exciting activities, and engaging academic challenges. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here and look forward to the rest of my time at MMSS,” Jordan adds.
Week Two — Interesting Topics
During the second week, Robert Johnson reports that he is settling into his course and really enjoying it.
“The course continued to cover interesting topics and introduced many phenomena that happened in the past and gave us the scientific explanation as to how and why they happened. An example of this is the story about the blue people of Kentucky. This story was about a blue man who got married to a woman and had kids and some of them were blue. They continued to have blue children but the number of blue people decreased over time. But before that a doctor took interest in the people and wanted to examine them to find out why they were blue. When he did find some of them and examine them he was able to determine that the reason they were blue was because of a blood disorder making their blood have a shortage of oxygen and he was able to cure them by giving them medicine. The whole class found this story fascinating because it showed that even weird and peculiar situations can be explained by science,” Jordan says.
After class, Jordan met more people, and participated in activities with his classmates. He played in ping pong and basketball games, learning a few tricks and tips along the way.
“Through these games I got to meet and talk to people from all around the world and talked to them about what it’s like in those different places. I met people from Taiwan, North Korea, Japan, all around the US, and many other places and I am really glad at the fact that I now have friends all around the world,” Jordan says.
“Beyond the classroom and the game room, the social aspects of MMSS were incredibly enriching. I attended several events and activities organized by the program, which provided additional opportunities to socialize and build friendships. One evening, we had a Boba Tea night where students got Boba Tea from a local tea place. While we were there we listened to music and some people told stories from their home countries. This event was a highlight of my week as it allowed me to experience a bit of different cultures firsthand and appreciate the diversity within our group,” Jordan adds.
“Additionally, I participated in some activities with some people from my class. This allowed me to get closer to the people in my class and have a better understanding of them. It also helped because we were able to talk about the different topics that we learned in class. This was beneficial because they helped reinforce my understanding of the topics and allowed me to see different perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. Collaborating with my peers also fostered a sense of camaraderie and mutual support, which made the learning experience even more enjoyable,” Jordan explains.
“Overall, my second week at MMSS was a wonderful blend of academic learning, personal growth, and cultural exchange. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be part of such a diverse and dynamic community. The experiences and friendships I have gained here are invaluable, and I am so glad that I got the amazing opportunity to go here and have this experience,” Jordan says.
Excellent! It’s great to hear that you enjoyed your time at MMSS, made connections with a diverse group of students, and learned new concepts in biology and physics. Good job, Jordan!
>> Read Jordan Johnson’s Final Report (PDF File, 32 KB).
>> Learn about the other students’ experiences in the GFF Scholarship Program.
