ILC Tutorial at the San Pablo Library

The ILC tutorial was scheduled to take place today, April 15, 2018, at the San Pablo Library. I was very much looking forward to the tutorial because I would gain more experience and knowledge for our trip, while also continuing to bond with the rest of the ILCers. Last night, I went to sleep both nervous and excited about the events that were to take place the next day. I envisioned myself getting up the next morning with the same excitement, ready to take on the day and to soak up all the knowledge Don was ready to provide us with. The next morning, me not being a morning person, this was not the case. 

I set my alarm for 8 AM and woke up so exhausted, so I fell back asleep without setting another alarm. Luckily, I was awoken by the annoying noise of my dog barking at people outside at 10:30 AM. I rushed out of bed and got ready as quickly as possible. Thankfully, I was ready by the time Don arrived at my house to pick me up. 

Our tutorial meeting spot.

Once we arrived at the San Pablo Library, my excitement for the tutorial was renewed. I was very happy to get to see the rest of my cohort and also the Vanderbilt cohort again. I had not been together with my cohort since our meeting at Kaleidoscope and had not seen the entirety of the Vanderbilt cohort since the Vanderbilt interviews.

Once everyone arrived, we took a photo of all eight ILCers in front of the Ivy League Connection banner. After seeing past cohorts take similar pictures in front of the same banner, this was a very surreal experience. With each meeting for the ILC, the journey to Chicago feels closer and closer.

During the tutorial, we went over the extensive packet Don had printed for us. We went over everything from how to take and upload our pictures, to what to pack for the trip. 

The part of the tutorial that took up most of our time was the photography and blogging aspect of the tutorial. As ILCers, we are expected to share all of our experiences throughout our journey before, during, and after our trip. To be more successful in doing so, Don walked us through the basics of taking pictures, using them in our blogs, and what to avoid while writing blogs. 

Ana and I staring at my dead camera.

Most of our learning took place during the making of our practice blog and the field assignment. After doing our practice blog, we go to go out on our own and take a whole bunch of pictures around and outside the library. I was very excited to take some pictures of the library and some of my fellow ILCers. I took off and snapped a couple of photos, but because of the low camera battery, my picture-taking spree was short lived.

At the very beginning of my ILC journey, traveling to Chicago seemed like a very daunting experience. With all of the information provided today by Don, I know more of what to expect and our trip now seems more exhilarating than scary. Today was also a great bonding experience for all of the members of the ILC. They are all friendly and funny. I am glad these are the people I will be spending the next few months connecting with. As always, I am very much looking forward to our next meeting.