In all honesty, I did not expect or want to be placed into SGC when my scholars placement came out in the beginning of the summer. Originally, I had BSE scholars program as my first choice and SGC as my second. Being a business major, I thought BSE best suited my future aspirations and the direction of where I was headed as soon as I finished my scholars citation. However, I have no regrets or complaints thus far about this program. I can honestly say Dr. Holtz and Merck made the transition into college so much easier. Although I have not had a chance to talk to them at a personal level, their simple presence and energy motivates me to be curious and serious about a variety of different topics. In terms of the structure of the class, the different activities and topics we talked about in class kept me engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed the lack of routine of the class as I found the mix of colloquies and lectures each week to help me learn the most. As I stated before, the delivery of all the information throughout the semester was second to none. The energy and enthusiasm of every single detail (even when we were talking about rocks) was something I do not think I will ever forget. Compared to other courses, this was definitely a more relaxed class in terms of assignments. However, being a one credit course I did not expect anything less and found it more useful to actually learn and be invested in things that are interesting rather than doing busy work for a grade.
One thing I was not expecting whatsoever was the topic of fossils and rocks that lasted around two lecture periods. Before then, I did not know about the serious implications and importance rocks has on the history of our Earth. I had known they hold information about the past but not to the extent of what they reveal about the climate and weather such as the fact that a simple pattern can determine the type of environment a rock was settled or formed in. One thing I thought and hoped to have delved into was the natural causes of climate change. Although we have brushed the surface like periods of global cooling and warming, I hope I get to learn even more about something that interests me deeply. As for the field trips and outside activities, they have all been fun and informative at the same time. It is a nice change of pace to be able to have a hands on experience about the things I am learning that I did not get to do very often before college. It was also very beneficial for meeting and forming relationships with people in SGC.
In terms of how college life has lived up to my expectations I made as a high schooler, they honestly have. I met a ton of new people, learned a lot of things, and gained a sense of what my future holds (although very little as I still have a multitude of different things to learn about myself). Individual freedom was something I craved for when I was younger and was definitely worth the wait.
For future SGC students, take advantage of all the opportunities this institution holds. Whether it is clubs, sports, greek life, jobs, etc. there are so many things that can make your college experience so much more worth it.