2009 ESG Freshman Questionnaire

This is a compilation of the responses to the 2009 Questionnaire that all ESG freshman fill out when they join.

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Question 1: Why would you like to join ESG? What influenced you the most to consider joining?

I like interactive learning environments with a small group, learning from each other. I also really want to join and be part of the community here. Both the small interactive classes as well as the general community and atmosphere have made me want to join.

Small class sizes are something I’m used to and value a lot, and I like the idea of having a closer academic community freshman year.

I want to be in a class where I know my professors and they know me. I also want to be able to ask questions.

I learn best in a small very supportive environment. Recommendations from former ESG members influenced me most to apply because their experiences and high praises of ESG made it sound perfect for me.

I’m accustomed to small classes from my “Community High School” (a smaller satellite to the main public) which itself has couches, available teachers, and an emphasis on a caring community. Coming to MIT is a change to urban and large ([the] freshman class [here is bigger than] my town) but I’ve found small supportive groups to work for me, and hope to maintain that for a little while.

I come from a very small school; about 200 students attended there. My graduating class consisted of about 18 students, and I got to know every single one of them very well. I really want that type of environment. Plus, I believe that I would be lost in a giant lecture hall.

I would like to join ESG because I like to learn in a small group. The experience in Freshman Leadership Program influenced me the most [to consider joining].

I really liked the small environment that allows you to ask questions in a smaller setting, how the professors and TAs adjust course pace and material depending on the interests/difficulties of the students, especially the intimate environment (like a family). The ESG upperclassmen all seem to love their experience, which really reflects well on the success of the program.

I like small class sizes. Also, it seems as though ESG would ensure I learn the material and don’t slack off.

I am really looking for an environment that will enable me to succeed in my first couple of semesters here at MIT – to facilitate connections with students that I can both help to learn material and learn from myself. The explanation of the community and class size were the primary contributing factors.

Small classes help me learn better; especially considering I haven’t been in school for seven years, I think the format and the teachers will maximize my learning experience. Also, upperclassmen spoke HIGHLY of the program.

It seems like a really friendly and supportive community. Since I graduated from high school back in November ’08, it’s been a while since I’ve done much structured studying and I think ESG would be really helpful for me to ease back into “study mode” and adept to the American style of writing. I had a really bad math teacher for the last 4 years of high school (she told me not to ask any more questions halfway through year 12 because it threatens her math ability…) so I finished high school totally hating math class (even though I’m actually really interested in math). I think that ESG will help me to regain my love for math again.

I like the small classroom aspects and the more hands-on learning.

During my high school years, I learned best when interaction between teacher and student was available, if not downright encouraged. In addition to being occasionally aggravatingly questioning during class, I would come and ask more during free periods, just to make sure I had absolutely everything covered. The biggest influence to applying would have to be the student/teacher interaction ESG provides – small classes and solid student teacher relationships got me here, and I think continuing that trend could only lead to good.

I find the idea of a smaller “community within the community” of MIT compelling; ESG seems like an opportunity to be part of a close-knit academic and social group.

I really want to get to know my professors well – my favorite classes in the past have been those when I had a solid friendship with the teacher.

I like working in small groups fueled by self-motivation, not grade-motivation.

I really like the idea of working in small groups and building a community. I was influenced by an upperclassman who said they really enjoyed it and took a lot out of it.

The most influential factor is the small and interactive classes; I tend to earn best in small groups. Additionally, I know Math-campers who have loved ESG, and I enjoy interacting with Math-campers and trust their judgment.

I would like to join ESG because I thrive when learning in small groups. Overall, I feel more comfortable around a smaller number of people, and therefore, I feel more comfortable asking questions and actively participating in discussions. I also enjoy getting to know my classmates/professors on a personal level. The small size of classes influenced me the most to consider joining ESG.

I like the small classroom setting.

I think I would benefit from a small learning community, as help will be more accessible and I don’t trust myself to adjust without help. Being in Dr. Patti Christie’s class during Interphase was very influential, and the small classes there worked for me. I’ve heard good things from many upperclassmen at Random. I like that MIT gives students options like this, as not everyone finds adjustment easy.

I would really like the in-depth (or greater so than mainstream) learning and the more personal atmosphere. Having instructors whom actually know my name and how I’m doing in class would be great. I feel that this would be a fantastic learning environment for someone such as myself. More programs like ESG should be offered. Or, the program should allow more students.

Great reviews from friends, desire for a smaller, more focused learning environment. Most importantly, to find a community of motivated, interesting people to interact with and learn with and from. Being shy, I haven’t met as many people as I would like. Hopefully ESG will help with this!

I’d like to join ESG because I learn best with the help of others. My Interphase experience w/ Physics pushed me to consider joining. (It wasn’t pleasant.) Also, I come from a graduating class of 24, so I am used to small classes.

The small class sizes and the flexible pace of lessons attract me to ESG. [I would have liked the application process to] be held after the ASE results are out.

The opportunity to be able to discuss and interact more with members of the class and professors, and being able to ask more questions in class.

It seems like a nice learning community, and I like having someone (preferably a group) that I could study with.

I believe that small group discussions and a close community will help me focus on my academics and I will be able to take the most out of my experience at MIT.

I think I would do better here. The fact that I learn better in small groups influenced me the most.

I’d like to join ESG because I prefer small classes.

[ESG will give me] small classes and a chance to try things and learn from my mistakes in an environment where I’m expected to do so.

I prefer learning in small groups. Firstly, I believe that it is the more efficient way of learning since you can ask questions, discuss the topic, etc. Secondly, I find it difficult to make friends in large groups, especially in the US, because English is not my foreign language.

I’ve found over the years that working in small groups is most beneficial to me. I retain information much better, and prove to be more effective. Interphase helped me arrive at this conclusion.

I have a hearing loss and the smaller class sizes would make it easier for me to follow the material, allowing me to perform better academically.

ESG will provide me with the attention I would otherwise not get in mainstream. I like the idea of close relationships with professors and peers. Moreover ESG is an excellent way of keeping up with classes since the community dismisses distractions. I was mostly influenced by the small classes because coming from a big high school, it is something I would really like to experience.

I like the sense of community, the idea of small classes where you can interact with peers and professors easily, and the independent-seeming nature of the classes.

I attended a small high school called The Cambridge School of Weston located in Weston MA. My school was very small with a typical class size of 8-12. It was there that I discovered how much I enjoy learning in a discussion based environment (and I also learn much more).

I was attracted by the flexibility and the close-knit community that is formed. As a freshman, I would like to form a family at my home away from home.

I enjoy smaller classes and having a more personal relationship with my teachers/professors. I went to a relatively small high school and very much enjoyed it and think that having a little bit of the same in university would be a good thing.

I feel that the smaller classes will help me understand the material in depth. Small classes will give me a chance to ask as many questions as I want whereas having classes in a large lecture hall would make it difficult to ask questions. Also, I like the community atmosphere. Rather than just going to class and then going back to my dorm, ESG will give me a place to relax and work on psets with my classmates. If I have to take my classes in mainstream I think I’ll struggle with the material a lot more.

I joined ESG for the small class sizes, the contact with faculty, and the teaching/tutoring opportunities.

I know that I learn much better and participate more when I am in a small class, and I think I will do much better if I am in ESG than if I am in the mainstream. I decided to join because I have a very hard time in large groups of people. I am very excited about ESG, and it is one of the reasons I chose MIT over Caltech and Hervey Mudd, because I was very worried about not being able to learn as well in large classes.

I like to be in a small setting so that I can ask a lot of questions.

I really enjoy learning and cooperating with a small group of people, and I love asking a lot of questions and talking with my professors. Therefore, ESG seems like the perfect academic setting for me. Particularly, the program seemed a lot like a summer program I attended two summers ago called SSP (the Summer Science Program in Socerro, New Mexico).

I would like to be able to ask questions and be proactive in my studies.
I’m scared and unsure that I will not be able to handle MIT work by myself, and I want to have someone to encourage me and help me on the way. The closeness of the people in the program.

I would like to join ESG because of the increased interaction between students and professors, which will help me gain in depth knowledge of the subjects. The small class size influenced me the most.

I would like to join ESG because I feel it will help a lot with my deafness in an environment like MIT. I also think that I will be able to obtain information better through ESG than in mainstream and retain it. Also, I really want to make friends, know people well, and be part of a tight-knit community.

I like the small-class setting that ESG offers. Personally, I think I learn best in this kind of setting, i.e. through active participation or discussion.

Small class size; open-mindedness

I personally feel I learn best in discussion in small groups and with professors. And ESG provides the perfect opportunity to do that. I didn’t take physics in high school and I’m afraid I will have a problem coping with it with the mainstream teaching/learning style. What influenced me is the academic orientation and hearing the upperclassmen talking about their ESG experience.

Question 2: What about ESG would you like to be experimental?

I would like to experiment with different ways of learning, etc., to experience different methods for the one that works best for me.

I’d like the teachers to have freedom to find the best way to teach, and students to be free to have a more dynamic relationship with their instructors.

Physics

My study group

My freshman course schedule

I would like to participate more in class discussions, and I would also like to be more outgoing. I believe that this smaller, more personalized envirornment would be a little different from what I’ve heard MIT is like.

Physics classes

I think I would prefer the applications (after learning the material) of our learning to be experimental. I would really like to develop skills/processes for testing/proving theories in science and math – whenever experiments are explained to me they make sense, but I would really enjoy learning how to develop these techniques.

Any applications of material we cover. The more I get my hands on a principle, the more I’ll really understand it.

Different ways that people learn best and different teaching styles.

I think learning, or at least my learning, is enhanced by hands-on experience with the subject matter.

Learning in a different enironment from the traditionally “distanced” relationship between students and teachers.

I think experimenting with directing study based off of students’ interests would be cool. My most enjoyable learning has been when teachers went off on a tangent which students asked about.

Each class individually should be able to experiment with their own learning style and space, instead of blanketing everyone with one idea or policy.

The actual learning styles, like visual vs. auditory vs. tactile, etc.

I’m interested in having an experimental and malleable teaching/learning method of classes.

I would like the location of the classes to be experimental. Perhaps the location of classes can vary. For example, if it’s a nice day, the class can be held outside, or maybe one day a class/discussion can be held at a café in Boston.

I would like the teaching to be experiential, as I’m not really sure of what my learning style is yet. I hope that through this, I will learn my best way to learn.

I would like to be able to compare my experiences to those in mainstream classes, and see how our knowledge of subjects differs (if at all). I’m pretty certain it will, and that it’d be in my favor.

The teaching methods. It would be great if new methods were constantly being tried and the teaching adapted (unless the old methods work well).

The depth of subject material that is covered, and perhaps combined classes as well (e.g. interdisciplinary topics or integrated modules of certain subjects).

Learning together with a small group of people, interacting a lot in class and having a chance to make an input into the class. These will be new to me and I am hoping that they will make my first year more enjoyable.

Different group activities, maybe study activities

The form of presenting the material

Different techniques of learning

Food (I like trying new kinds of food); projects for class

Concerts and exhibitions

Maybe our approach to Physics

I would like the classes to be experimental by trying formats other than large lectures.

Cooking, reorganizing the lounge, and the way we record our experiences both in and out of class. It would be fun to come up with unique dishes, a different look, and a creative way to record our history for future ESGers.

I like the experimental idea of collaboration and lots of interaction, because I’ve never had classes run in that way but I think it would be a fantastic experience and I could really thrive in it.

The entire learning process. I am never sure how I will learn something best and would like room to play around and discover what works best for me.

I would like to experiment with and adjust to the university atmosphere.

Chemistry experiments

I would like the way the students interact with each other to be different than in mainstream class lectures, where they normally only work together on homework – I’d like to have the opportunity to learn from my classmates.

I am hoping that some days of classes will be very discussion-based and not too preplanned (mostly in the HASS class).

How we go about learning the information. How questions are answered.

Class structure at ESG should be the most experimental aspect in my opinion. Because the classes are so small, it would be fantastic if classes were allowed to follow a non-traditional path – that is, if a student is invested in a particular aspect of a topic, the professor would take time out to explore that topic more in depth.

The classroom discussions and how the information is presented

Exploring fields outside the normal curriculum that help enhance the understanding of the lessons

ESG could be more hands-on on some topics or do demos.

Teaching style

Question 3: How did you first hear about ESG?

Friends in ESG (Mathcamp)

Online

During Interphase

MIT’s website

A CPW event two years ago (I took a gap year)

I heard about ESG from Dr. Patti, when I attended her class during Interphase. I received something in the mail, but I learned very little from it.

Website

An FAP dinner with Mr. Graham Ramsey

CPW

MIT Admissions website

Orientation mailings

In the Hitchhiker’s Guide (freshman orientation schedule)

Interphase in Patti’s Chemistry lectures

I heard about ESG from an alumnus who started trying to recruit me before I’d even applied to MIT, because he enjoyed the program so much.

From the “First Year at MIT” website

My host during CPW (Alex Dehnert) was in ESG, and I visited the programs’s space and one of its classes with him.

I attended some of its events at CPW.

An upperclassman, Piper Hunt

From Mathcampers; through the Manic Sages mystery hunt team

I first heard about ESG during CPW through my discussions with various MIT students. Since then, I have been extremely interested in ESG!

Website/students

My host for CPW first told me about it. She said it’s a great way to make close friends and that it could be a good learning option for me.

My older brother was part of the program, and he raved about it.

From friends who have been in the program.

From a fellow Interphaser, Zach Steward

In the admissions booklet that I received.

Email from Elizabeth Young

MIT Orientation website

I had Patti for Interphase

I heard about it through Dr. Patti Christie during Interphase.

I received an email from Elizabeth Young about learning communities.

A flyer about freshman learning communities

I received an email about ESG in spring.

Patti Christie, my Interphase chemistry professor. I’d also researched small groups within MIT.

A friend who was interested in the program

During interphase I had Dr. Patti for chemistry and she would mention it a few times.

I met people at CPW who told me about it and said it was a really good program and a good experience.

Through my dad (a professor here)

A friend mentioned it to me and [talked] about its services.

MIT’s orientation booklet

I heard about ESG when I read about it on the website.

From Aubrey Samost, a current MIT senior

I was researching MIT and saw a link to the website, and after reading about it I decided that it is something that would definitely help me do better at MIT.

CPW, then CK and Claxton

I first heard about ESG through the MIT orientation website. I saw the video giving an overview of the program, and I thought it was hilarious and showcased an academic environment I wanted to be a part of.

Through Patti during Interphase

Interphase

Mass email from Elizabeth Young

I had looked around the MIT Admissions website and I came across a page about “Freshman Learning Communities” that showed ESG and information about it. I thought this is something I wuold like to do at MIT for the first year.

I visited the ESG website, then I talked to Senna, who to my surprise happened to be in ESG.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to Orientation

From the web

Question 4: What have you heard about ESG? From whom?

I’ve heard the classes are informal, engaging, and easy to ask questions. Also I’ve heard the community is great as well as the physical space to work in.

Almost everyone I’ve talked to has known someone who was in ESG and thought it was great, both a lot of fun and a good way to learn.

You learn the material

I’ve heard that it’s a small learning community and has an informal setting. Claxton, Willie Mae, and Cydnie Trice (didn’t do ESG) all told me that ESG really helps people learn the material in depth, not just by memory.

My friend thought it was a good introduction to college, a nice transition. Others have said they found it more effective in teaching the concepts.

I’ve heard very good things about ESG from CK Umachi and from Dr. Patti: very close-knit community; approachable teachers; lounge is always open.

Study in small groups; great place

It’s a comfortable way to adjust to MIT life but still challenge yourself in the process.

I have heard a great deal about ESG from Patti; she was my chem teacher during Interphase. One thing I found out was that chem in ESG was the same psets as mainstream.

Outside of the ESG Info Sessions I have heard very little differentiating information, only that ESG is more of the East-side culture than Concourse.

Grace: Amazing!

Rachel Price: ESG would be great

So far, all I know about ESG is from Graham Ramsey during the ESG info session. I’ve only heard positive comments from my peers about the community aspect of ESG.

Makes you accountable for your learning

My older sister has told me that it’s difficult at times, but she thought it was worth the extra time and effort. I’ve heard it’s another way to adjust to freshman year at MIT.

I have heard from many people in ESG that the close-knit community it provides is really superb, with respect both to students and to teachers.

Dave Custer told me a lot about the flexibility of ESG, both of its programs and its people.

I heard it was like a smaller, East Campus-style version of Concourse with a more tight-knit community.

I have heard good things about ESG from Mathcampers, the content of which I don’t currently remember. I’ve heard that the small, interactive classes are great.

I have heard of the many benefits of participating in ESG, such as having small classes, having close relationships with students, and retaining concepts better than in a mainstream class.

It’s a small learning opportunity – Jerry Orloff

There’s food – Elena

It forces you to go to every class, as they notice when you are gone – Casey Weber

I don’t fall asleep – Elena

Great program… More beneficial than mainstream – Willie Mae Reese

Nice way to transition into MIT – Emilio Jasso

Learn in a more interactive environment, gain a great community that you stay connected to past freshman year.

I’ve heard that ESG is a great experience but that you may be cut off from mainstream.

It is a tightly knit community, and we get to explore avenues of the subject we would not be able to in mainstream.

Upperclassmen told me that in ESG I will have better chances of asking a lot of questions if I do not understand some topics.

It offers small-sized classes and the opportunity to get more out of them; I could get help easily and could benefit from studying with a group after classes.

That it helps you be accountable to your schoolwork. More of a discussion-based learning environment.

I heard it was great from past ESG students.

A general positive connotation: interacting with professors, cooking, eating together, etc.

Students learn to ask questions during ESG (of staff and ESG students); ESG is a very strong community where one can feel as at home (both staff and students).

It’s a great program, and you only isolate yourself as much as you desire. The program is intense, but well worth it.

I heard that it had smaller class sizes and that it might be a bit isolated if you don’t also take mainstream classes.

I’ve heard about the classes offered, their frequency, the professors, the size, the events, the different people. I learned this through many of the ESGers who will be TAs this year, through Dr. Patti, Holly Sweet, and Gabrielle.

I have heard that it is a fantastic experience and gives you the opportunity to learn things in a way that you can’t in regular lecture classes. I’ve also heard the sense of community is fantastic.

I have heard about ESG from a number of former students and from a meeting with Alex Slocum. From most of the students, the message was that ESG is exactly as advertised. Most of the students loved the program, but one felt that it wasn’t a good fit for them.

I heard that the students work on their homework together and they form a family. Also, the classes are small and it requires more responsibility for going to class and doing homework.

That ESG gives you a place to work and that the small classes allow you to form relationships with both professors and the other students in your class. Also, the smaller classes allow for more customization of the classes to fit the students.

I’ve heard that ESG is a great program that allows for more one-on-one interaction with professors because of the small classes.

Very tight-knit community, with great support in classwork and in non-academic success

I’ve heard that the community is very supportive and close-knit.

CK: That it’s a good program

Claxton: It really helps you understand

While visiting Random Hall earlier this week, I got to meet a guy named Paul who plays a large role in coordinating events at ESG. He said that ESG wa a fantastic environment and a great place to work. I told him I wanted to major in physics, and he told me that the physics classes at ESG are fantastic.

I have heard that ESG is very beneficial and that the environment is good to learn in. I usually spoke in both Willie Mae and CK about ESG.

It’s very helpful and it gives you confidence to ask questions in class, recitations, and so on.

I heard from a senior how ESG helped her approach Physics, a subject she had little knowledge of, and she actually became a Physics major.

I heard that ESG has small classes taught by a professor and is composed of a tight-knit community. The students are able to obtain help more easily from their professors and TAs than in mainstream. I heard more things about ESG from Shawn Westerdale ’12.

Mainly, these are the two main comments I heard about ESG: 1. ESG is awesome: most people who take it enjoy the experience dearly. 2. If you are a self-motivated person, and you learn best by actively participating in the learning process, then ESG is for you.

ESG offers small group learning and an environment to foster strong and long-lasting relationship with fellow ESG students and ESG professors.

Question 5: What has been your best learning experience before coming to MIT and why?

My AP Physics class in high school was an independent study with myself and two others (a class of three) when we were given problems to solve amongst ourselves independently. It was a great way to learn in a very small group, from the other students as much as (if not more than) from the teacher.

I did an internship at NASA… working with a chemist to pick an optimal fuel. It was great because I had both great support fromm him but also a lot of leeway to do real science.

Interphase because I learned as much as I did in all 4 years of high school.

Math and Science for Minority Students at Phillips Andover Academy – a 3-year summer program. At this program I was placed in small classes of about 13 people and we learned math and science topics for 5 weeks every summer.

My years [at Community High School] after homeschooling (K-8th) were my best learning experience.

I have had trouble finding a good school, but I finally found a school small enough, and good enough to help me. I rarely asked questions, but I always tried hard enough. The teachers were always good to me, and they even recommended that I apply to MIT.

The experience in Freshman Leadership Program because we get into cluster to learn. We get to know each other better and deeper.

BC Calculus class senior year – very small class where my teacher allowed us to go off on tangents and ask questions about practical applications of the equations and how it related to other fields.

My computer programming class in high school. The teacher would teach a new command or idea. Then, he would assign yourself how to solve the problems using both old and new information which I really liked.

Between my junior and senior year, I participated in the Keystone Youth Policy Summit on the Future of Sustainable Fuels in America. Before this event all participants compiled a research paper on a technology/fuel and convened at the summit to present our feasibility findings in groups by technology.

Life! I learned so much by travelling, by taking care of my mother, and by learning to love a woman. School/formal learning: My best class in high school was AP Chemistry; the teacher made the material very accessible somehow.

I did a 6-month exchange in Japan in grade 10 and it was great to be fully submersed in the language and culture and to be staying with a host family who really cared about my learning and helped me a lot. It felt great being able to ask questions anytime I needed to and to be learning something so fast and putting it to use straight away.

I went to Turkey and learned about a new culture.

My best learning experience would have to be working on a summer internship about solar power concentration. While it was difficult, mostly as I know very little going in and felt more often than not I was completely wrong, but the hands-on experience and having help available whenever necessary was an entirely new and greatly beneficial experience.

Studying classical Greek in high school, in a (very) small class – an unorthodox but highly rewarding pursuit

My 10th grade algebra teacher and I met frequently outside of class with him giving me problems or helping me come up with my own, since I was not challenged in his class. The independent research his suggestions led to introduced me to the elegance and excitement of math, and made it into one of my deep passions.

My high school AP Calc class because although we had graded tests our teacher gave us grades based on how well we were learning – this allowed for difficult tests on which no one got an A, but also the ability to be successful in the class.

My best learning experience was participating in a Socratic Seminar in my AP English Language class because it allowed me to verbally work out ideas in a small group.

One possibility was the Vectors, Matrices, Tensors, and Spinors class at Canada/USA Mathcamp, because the class was very challenging and well-taught, and I learned a great deal through hard work. Another possibility is the math research I’ve been working on for the last three years; I’ve greatly enjoyed being challenged by the math and discovering new things.

My best learning experience prior to MIT was when I was in France, learning about interpreting a Vivaldi piece from a professional musician. The musician taught my chamber group and me. It was my best learning experience because it was interactive. He would make a comment about Baroque style and as a group, we would apply it to an excerpt of the music. I also enjoyed the one-on-one attention I got when I neede guidance on my violin part.

Just having class debates/discussions, or talking to my teachers with a few students after class.

MITES and Interphase were both amazing learning experiences, as they taught me how to work successfully in a small group and opened up my eyes to the wonderful world of asking for help. I also learned to judge whether I really know things or not.

I had an amazing AP Bio teacher in my jr. year in high school. We did a lot of hands-on learning, developed a few study skills (the only study skills I acquired in high school), and had a lot of one-on-one assistance when it was needed. My teacher was also very passionate about what she taught, and in time made me passionate for the subject, too.

Small college philosophy seminar or classes at Canada/USA Mathcamp.

I don’t have a specific experience, but in general I learn best working in groups and doing problems in groups. When in groups, I like to discuss and talk through why things are right or wrong.

My research projects, as I was able to explore subjects on my own, and learn “new knowledge” as well.

Doing A level science mostly by researching on my own, with some discussions on the learning material a few times with the teacher and the whole class; I liked it because it was an opportunity to learn to make choices and manage time, and I ended up knowing more than what the teacher had prepared for us initially.

Women’s Technology Program (in EECS) here at MIT. It was like a small college experience, and I got to work in a group a lot.

My Latin class senior year. The teacher loved what she taught, taught it well, and made sure we understood it.

My best learning experience before coming to MIT was during junior year in high school in math class when we worked in small groups to solve problems.

Robotics – not for grades, with friends, messed up but learned a lot while having fun

Camps for students who participate in Chemistry Olympiads. We used to be learning chemistry in the groups of 20, 10, or even 6 members. What is more, we used to spend all the day together. In the evenings, after the lectures and lab experiments, we used to come back to our motels, drink tea, eat dinner and discuss what we had learned that day.

Interphase and a research project on muons and the effects of relativity on it’s life-span.

My best learning experience was a demonstration given by my calculus teacher to explain instantaneous velocity; he spun a projectile on a string and released it, aiming for a certain location.

My best learning experience was in my sophomore year in high school. In my AP US History class we went beyond the curriculum by going in depth into Manifest Destiny and the discovery of America. We read Lies My Teacher Told Me, Howard Zinn’s A History of the US, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. It was a fascinating, intense, and unforgettable learning experience.

When I was in 11th grade in my AP Chem class after the AP exam, our teacher taught us by letting us design experiments and conduct them, as long as they were relatively save. It was the best because it was so independent and we were learning in such a collaborative way, it was such a fantastic experience.

The single best experience I have had was my AB Calc class junior year. In this class we learned through experimentation and discussion. Somehow, at the end of the class I had the feeling as it I did no work because I had so much fun, yet I learned more than I ever have from a class.

My best and favorite learning experience was when I visited the Maasai Mara in rural Kenya. I had many moments of interaction with the residents of the area and I was able to learn about the Maasai culture and traditions.

Having a great science teacher in Grade 9, after 4 years of the… uninteresting science teacher. This teacher opened my eyes to science and allowed my interest in it to develop. She also helped me find the right people to talk to when my curiosity outran her knowledge in a particular area.

My best learning experience before coming to MIT was doing research in high school with chemistry. I liked doing research because it allowed me to learn about any topic I was interested in instead of just following the curriculum.

My best learning experience was working as a mentor to fifth-grade girls at a local elementary school in a program called Wilson Wizards. We did an assortment of activities related to science, math, engineering, and leadership. I served to help a small group of girls with any questions or problems they had, and I served as a source of wisdom about like in high school. This helped me learn about my teaching style, and about myself as a person.

I spent four summers at the Center for Talented Youth, and those classes were really great because they were so interesting and challenging, and smaller than normal classes so I could participate more.

Interphase – really prepared me for what to expect at MIT. Also in my high school AP chem class because it was so small, and I got to know my teacher really well.

My best learning experience before coming to MIT was at the Summer Science Program. I got to know the professors there very well due to its small setting, and in turn the professors were very willing to help me through rough spots. Working in a group of 40 really smart kids was exhilarating, and staying up late doing problem sets was a lot of fun.

Afterschool study sessions with one of my teachers where we more or less discussed the concepts I had learned in all of my classes.

Interphase: I learned to work with people and to be able to understand, be productive, and have fun all with people that I had just met.

Research attachments at IBNC (Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology) and IMCBC (Institute of Molecular Cell Biology) in Singapore. There attachments allowed a lot of hands-on experiences through the experiments. They also taught me how to deal with real-life problems that occur in the lab. Apart from gaining much knowledge outside of the curriculum, I also improved my experimental techniques significantly.

My best learning experience was living in Boston for the whole last summer working on a research project with a MIT professor at MEEI in the auditory sciences. It gave me more experience and insights about working in a lab, living independently in Boston, and I learned more about MIT.

Four weeks studying astronomy at Bosscha Observatory, with four other awesome students from other parts of Indonesia. We grew really close to each other, having discussions and doing casual stargazings throughout the four-week period. This experience convinced me to pursue further studies in Astronomy.

Group discussion on interesting math/science problems in secondary school. Independent research projects with university/institute professors = plenty of opportunities to ask questions and delve deeper into the subject I’m passionate about.