“The program is very busy with activities, lectures, and labs. One of the most exciting parts of our course is the hands-on labs. They allow us to visualize the concepts we learn in class and understand them better,” Claire says.

“We began with some lab basics and learned how to use micropipettes—specifically how to set them to draw different amounts of liquid and convert between microliters and milliliters,” Catherine reports.

David says that he has been enjoying his first week, and has “learned so much from talking to people from both regional and international backgrounds, and I’m pleased to say I’ve already made some new friends.”

Takamichi reports that although the course is the most rigorous academic program he has ever attended, it has been a great learning opportunity and has helped him to grow as a student.

“I spent the first weeks of summer researching mass spectrometry, which was a field I had not known much about. I found that it was not as daunting as I originally thought, and my excitement to apply my newfound knowledge increased,” Molly explains.

“During my first week at the University of Michigan’s Neuroscience course, I had the opportunity to explore the fundamentals of the brain through both classroom learning and hands-on activities,” Isabella says.

Anne Popit reports that her first week at the Notre Dame Summer Scholar’s Program where she is studying “Neuroscience: Understanding the Human Body’s Command Center” has been “incredible.”

On her first day, Margaret learned about how things work at SCAD, the bus system for students, and information on the historical buildings at campus. Her first class was an introduction to architecture, followed by an assignment.

Trennis reports that during his first week at MMSS, the class focused on core physics concepts before moving on to more complex material.

This group of students is a tribute to Carbondale Community High School (CCHS) and Carterville High School (CHS), which provide these students with excellent academic structure and support close to home.

“The first time I heard the instructors, it seemed like their playing touched me very deeply. I was engaged and intrigued by their playing, I was inspired,” Liam says.

After meeting her roommate, an international student from China, Mollie and her her friend Aashna attended orientation, and went on a campus tour.

Alexei reports that during his first week, the class was taught how to analyze primary and secondary sources, thinking critically about similar elements and differences. The class also read and analyzed a short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” as one of his assignments for the course.

“This first day was focused on the basics to combinatorics: definitions of common terms like sets and subsets, ways of counting like complementary counting, rule of product, and rule of sum,” Alexei explains.

Ryan says he spent the first week exploring the campus and getting a feel for the course. Situated next to downtown Providence, the campus feels like a mix of city and nature.

After settling in and orientation, Zoya toured the campus and was “genuinely impressed by the beauty and atmosphere at UChicago. The architecture and green spaces are stunning, and I could have easily spent hours exploring.”