The End of Our Trip, But Not Our Journey

The time spent in Chicago for the past three weeks is something I had been looking forward to for a very long time. The process leading up to Departure Day took up months and I spent every waking moment yearning for the lessons I would learn, people I would meet, and the memories I would make while in Chicago. Despite all of the anticipation and planning for the trip, the realization that everything was really happening didn’t hit me until Departure Day when we were standing in the cold in front of El Cerrito High School at 2:00 AM. 

I felt a little nervous since I really didn’t know what to expect but more than that I was really excited. I knew very little about the process of admission into a university and even less about what it was actually like to attend one. Through the ILC, I was given the opportunity to not only visit two top-tier universities but to also spend three weeks taking classes and living on the campus of one of them. I knew this would be an amazing experience that would provide me with invaluable information and I was incredibly excited about it.

My first week at UChicago was one full of ups and downs. In our first couple of days in Chicago, we spent time sightseeing, learning about the city, and visiting the Northwestern campus. Throughout all of these events, I learned so much and had a lot of fun. Arriving at the University of Chicago, settling into the dorms, and meeting the people I would spend the next three weeks with was also really fun. Once class began, sadly, things became a little less fun.

During the first few days of class, I became quite overwhelmed with the amount of new material that was being thrown my way. Once Dr. Fineschi began teaching, I realized I didn’t know many of the basics concepts needed to understand the material. My skills in lab were also lacking. This became frustrating very quickly as I fell behind right out of the gate. Looking back at my frustration, I believe some of it was just me psyching myself out because I knew less than my classmates. Once I sought help from my professor, who was very encouraging and helpful, I began to really enjoy everything I was learning. Lectures became easier to understand and lab was one of the best parts of my day. I am really grateful for having two incredible professors, Dr. Fineschi and Dawn, who taught me so much and always went out of their way to help any students who did not know the material.

Aside from my professors, I also learned a great deal from my fellow classmates and other students in the Summer Session program. All of the students I encountered were so incredibly motivated to do well. In fact, you know how in some classrooms there is that one student that always seems to know the answer, always raises their hand and always goes above and beyond with their work? My class was full of that type of student. I loved being in this kind of learning environment because everyone was extremely hard working which motivated me to work just as hard. My classmates were also great resources to reach out when I was stuck or confused by any assignments. Although most of the time they were extremely helpful, sometimes we made it worse for each other as our class fed each other’s anxieties with doubts about how an assignment was meant to be done. Dawn even said that out of all her other sessions we were the class who stressed most over assignments. Regardless of that, I am happy to have met each and every one of them as they inspired me to work harder. 

I also enjoyed learning from the other students in the summer session program. Getting to establish relationships with people from all sorts of different backgrounds really taught me about myself. I learned how where I am from has shaped who I am and who I want to be. Hearing people aiming for top schools like Columbia and Harvard made me realize just how different our backgrounds are. Just a few years ago when I was living in Iowa, my dream school was Iowa State. My move to California and my trip to UChicago have made me realize just how much is out there. 

Other than this realization, something else I have taken away from those incredible people is amazing friendships that I hope will be long-lasting. Meeting Maria, Adela, and Cecilia were definitely one of the highlights of this trip. Hearing stories from previous ILCers of the friends they had made, made me hopeful that I would find people like that as well but I was still very doubtful that I would. Now having met them, I am so happy that I did since I don’t know what my experience would have been without them. When I was stuck in my dorm room stressed about finishing my lab report they were all very encouraging. Whenever I wanted to go into the city, around campus, or even just to Baker they were always the ones who went with me. Having them really brought my experience to a whole new level and for that, I am forever grateful. 

Having these relationships with everyone was made easy since I lived in the same building and even on the same floor as some of them. The close proximity in which we lived in also allowed me to be more productive when it came to partner or group work. I could easily go up two floors to meet up with my group in order to finish our project. Living in the dorms also helped my individual studying as it was easy to find a quiet place in which I could study quietly. This differed from home as I live in a small house where there is always something distracting me from work. Experiencing campus and dorm life really helped me grow as a person as I had never really been on my own in this way. Through the freedom we were given at UChicago, I learned how to better my time management so I could get my studying and blogging done with enough time to spend with friends. 

My overall experience at UChicago was one of struggle and growth. At the beginning of my class, I was extremely discouraged to see that I was behind most of my classmates. I also struggled with trying to keep up with them. I quickly learned this was not a bad thing as I realized I was struggling because I was learning and growing so much. I also realized even though I was not as knowledgeable or experienced as my classmates, getting to study alongside them was something I should be incredibly grateful for, as I was one of only eight students from our district that got to do so. In the end, I am thankful for everything I was exposed to in Chicago. All of the lessons I learned, people I met, and memories I made are something I will remember for the rest of my life. This trip has truly changed my life and because of that, I am incredibly thankful to everyone who contributed to making this a reality for me.