This summer I had the privilege of attending a two-week, on-campus program at Brown University. I moved in two days after the completion of my last freshman year high school Zoom class in mid-June, and along with a small group of 9 other students took the course Fluid Mechanics Through Hovercraft Physics at the Barus and Holley engineering school.
Technically, this program was my first official college campus visit (my dad and I had taken a walk around the outer gates of Fordham University on a blistering weekend in the Bronx, but because of the pandemic we were unable to venture inside the gates). I had seen pictures of Brown’s pristine grounds, and frankly, seeing them in person was infinitely more breathtaking. As a civil engineer-to-be, I was immediately struck by how well they implemented a suburban feel in a comparatively urban environment.
I was lucky enough to score a dorm room meant for two residents at Sears House, one of 10 residence halls on the Wriston Quad. Despite the simplicity of the room and the lack of air conditioning, it was far better than the impression I had of college dorm rooms beforehand, which was of a small, bland room with no other luxuries than a mini-fridge. As long as the windows opened and the wall had an outlet for my computer charger, I was happy.
I loved the class that I chose. Collegiate fluid mechanics is incredibly complicated–I like to say that my physics homework got so complex that it had more Greek letters than numbers–but the small class size and the classroom setting (a research laboratory in the Barus and Holley building) made me happy with my course choice. And it was the project from this class–a team-based task to build the fastest, most maneuverable remote-controlled hovercraft possible–that served as the inspiration for the after-school program I would start in 10th grade.
There were certain aspects of the program, however, that felt more like a summer day camp than a college experience. We were barred from leaving the Wriston Quad without supervision from a counselor (not knowing this rule, I violated it multiple times during my first few days on campus, traveling as far out as the Orwig Music Library with Google Maps as my only guide) and, as pre-college students, were not allowed to enter campus buildings on our own. As someone who loves exploration, I found this a little restraining.
In conclusion, Summer@Brown was a valuable experience and it introduced me to an important fact regarding college education: in order to succeed in any course at an institution of higher learning (especially in math or science) preparation is important, whether that be through the AP classes offered at school, or MOOCs I seek out on my own (e.g., edX).