I applied to the Life Science Scholars Program immediately after admitted student’s day and meeting Dr. Laura May-Collado. She had such a passion for the program and was excited to get started with students for the first year this program would be launched. After being accepted, I was beyond excited, and could not wait for all of the new knowledge that I would gain. I did not know however, all of the connections that I would make during this year. Upon arriving to campus, I made immediate friends with the people in the program, after comparison of schedules, and learning that the people in this program had similar goals, passion and drive as myself for science. Therefore, I was able to make many friends and a support system that I would have for the entirety of the year, even throughout online learning. There are many difficult courses to take first year, involving biology, chemistry and math courses, with the respective labs. With having the help of people for studying and get through the stressful exam times, I am forever grateful for this experience. My first year at UVM would not have been nearly as enjoyable without this program. I also made connections in the living arrangement and lived in a suite with people from the LSS program, but also different LASP programs as well. I was able to easily study with the people from the LSS program, but also learned different perspectives from the other programs. Dr. May-Collado was also many of our BCOR 11 and 12 professors, which was helpful, and easy to go to office hours and ask her questions or just for a support system. She was always ready to give advice with tea and snacks available. She was also the professor for the second semester CURE research lab, which provided the opportunity to gain insight into the research world, learning something new and different. In small groups, we studied different research topics and collected data with use of the many resources Dr. May-Collado had gathered. We learned that research is not always about light bulb moments, and there will be many failures, but it is apart of science. There will be many stressful times, and it is okay, it is normal! This same concept was learned throughout the first semester course Nobel Prize Winners, where we not only learned how to write scientifically in a clear and concise manner, but also the thought and curiosity behind the prizes. The course was also with Dr. Bryan Ballif who is also an amazing support system and has a lot of advice, and connections outside of the classroom for help with research and other opportunities. I enjoyed the multitude of concepts learned in his classroom and it will definitely help with my future endeavors. I also know that I can count on Dr. May-Collado and Dr. Bryan Ballif throughout the rest of my college experience.
The weekly lab assignments were easy to complete with the help of LSS members, and if I was ever confused, there was always at least one person who was on the right track of the lab. There were times that midterms overlapped with our other courses, but due to the comparable schedules, we could help each other through these insanely stressful times. In addition, it was helpful on the first day of classes to already know some of the people who were in the classes and be able to sit with them. There is always a stress for others and myself, about making friends in classes, and this program makes that process so simple. General Chemistry and BCOR are hard course loads and require a lot of preparation for exams, as well as keeping up with the work from the beginning. If the work is not kept up with, it will be extremely hard to catch up. Everyone in the program kept each other on top of their responsibilities and held each other accountable for the material that was due each week. There were times where you may forget to do an assignment, but there was always someone to remind you about it, so you could complete it before it was due. This was not just a program with academic rigor, these people became my family. But enough about the academics. Writing this is making me shed a tear as I think about all of the amazing friends I have made from this program. Out of the classroom, we keep each other sane, and make sure that everyone is eating properly. I don’t think I ever had to eat a meal alone. We also did many things over the weekend, whether it was a walk down Church Street, or skiing when the time came. Also a fun trip to Montreal! They also surprised me on my birthday, which was on a Chem Exam day by the way. I know that these friends will be with me throughout my college experience, and I feel like I have known them so much longer than a year. With everything, I cannot stress to you, if you have the opportunity to apply to the LASP, do it, you will not regret it, and will make some of the best friends you could ever hope for!
The weekly lab assignments were easy to complete with the help of LSS members, and if I was ever confused, there was always at least one person who was on the right track of the lab. There were times that midterms overlapped with our other courses, but due to the comparable schedules, we could help each other through these insanely stressful times. In addition, it was helpful on the first day of classes to already know some of the people who were in the classes and be able to sit with them. There is always a stress for others and myself, about making friends in classes, and this program makes that process so simple. General Chemistry and BCOR are hard course loads and require a lot of preparation for exams, as well as keeping up with the work from the beginning. If the work is not kept up with, it will be extremely hard to catch up. Everyone in the program kept each other on top of their responsibilities and held each other accountable for the material that was due each week. There were times where you may forget to do an assignment, but there was always someone to remind you about it, so you could complete it before it was due. This was not just a program with academic rigor, these people became my family. But enough about the academics. Writing this is making me shed a tear as I think about all of the amazing friends I have made from this program. Out of the classroom, we keep each other sane, and make sure that everyone is eating properly. I don’t think I ever had to eat a meal alone. We also did many things over the weekend, whether it was a walk down Church Street, or skiing when the time came. Also a fun trip to Montreal! They also surprised me on my birthday, which was on a Chem Exam day by the way. I know that these friends will be with me throughout my college experience, and I feel like I have known them so much longer than a year. With everything, I cannot stress to you, if you have the opportunity to apply to the LASP, do it, you will not regret it, and will make some of the best friends you could ever hope for!
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