Days Past, but Memories Will Last

I don't really know what I expected from the trip to Chicago. I knew that it was an opportunity to show that I had done something worthwhile with my life on college applications, but I really wasn't sure what else to think. I didn't really understand why Don had stressed the importance of going to college in his presentation at El Cerrito High School. I always was sure I was going to go to college, but what I did not realize was how valuable of an experience it can be. Since then, I have realized the differences in social atmosphere, academic rigor, and student interest in learning. 

In terms of social atmosphere, the difference is obvious: you live with the students you go to school and perhaps even attend classes with. I'm a pretty distant person, so it was startling to be so close to so many other people 24/7. Despite my initial surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed this setting. It was much easier to find people to study with, which was amazing for me because I have trouble focusing on work without others to discuss points of confusion with and shame me into doing my assignments. There were also a plethora of people who wanted to go out and experience the city, which made leaving the safety of campus easier because I felt more comfortable roaming around in suspect areas in a group. Three weeks in this environment made me feel more at ease collaborating with others and finding my niche in a large mass of people.

They call the University of Chicago "where fun comes to die" for a reason. The course I took did not have a huge workload outside of class, but the difficulty of the concepts was still a few steps above anything that I had experienced before. It was not just difficulty that had been ramped up, though. The speed of the class was far faster than what I was used to. It made sense, though. We didn't exactly have time to spend a few hours on every single topic (like we usually do at my school) and still expect to extract a meaningful amount of information in fifteen days of class. The one thing that I'm not sure that I liked about the course I took was the lack of reinforcement. We spent very little time actually practicing the ideas we had learned through problem sets or other review. I do not like this method very much, as practice is how I learn best, but I can understand the idea of putting the responsibility on us to test our independence. However, it was a little bit frustrating that we were not even offered resources for review on our own time. That said, it was still a far better class than any I had taken previously. I know it was not nearly as difficult as an actual college course, but now I think I have a taste of what I might be seeing in a couple of years.

The students in the Summer Session seemed much more motivated to work than I had expected. It was amazing to work with people who were actually there to learn and not just mess around (just being the key word there; some were still heavy partiers). When everybody is focused on learning, there is much more collaboration and far fewer distracting side discussions, making for a more productive work environment.

All of these factors contributed towards my excitement for going away to college in two years, and now I am definitely going to put in my maximum effort towards making my college experience all I want it to be.

Back in the Bay

After the three amazing and unforgettable weeks spent in Chicago, yesterday came the day we finally returned to California. My day began early in the morning so I could finish packing and say goodbye to Kathy, my roommate, who had an earlier flight. Every day for the last few weeks Kathy and I have shared the ups and downs of our courses and worked through them together. Knowing I would never have that with her again made her departure sad to witness and her absence left our room feeling eerily empty. Still, I am so happy to have met her and I know we will stay in touch to continue working through our ups and downs.

After saying goodbye to Kathy and finishing my packing, I headed downstairs shortly before checkout time which was at 9 AM. Walking through Campus North for the last time reminded me of all the great memories made there. I recalled everything from the time spent with friends in the Thangaraj lounge to the late nights studying in the West Commons. Remembering these experiences brought a smile to my face as they changed this big strange building into home and me from an overwhelmed and scared student into a motivated and hardworking one. 

Everyone waiting in the lobby of Campus North

In the lobby, I met up with Adela, who would also be leaving soon, and Maria, who had one more day before her class ended but was waiting to send us off. We spent our last few moments together eating breakfast and remembering our favorite memories of the program. Sadly, the time soon came to say goodbye when Adela’s chaperone came to take her to the airport and Maria had to head to class. We gave each other goodbye hugs, told each other how much we would miss one another but promised to keep texting. 

After they had both left, I met up with Maxime, Shreejal, and Isaac to wait for John and the shuttle that would take us to the Midway airport. Once the shuttle arrived, we loaded our luggage and spent most of our time on the ride to the airport reflecting on our experiences made here in Chicago. At the airport, everything went off without a hitch. We checked our luggage, went through security, and got something to eat before finally boarding the plane home. 

Once we landed in Oakland, our trend of everything going great in airports continued. We got our luggage and boarded the shuttle that would take us back to El Cerrito High School. On the ride there, I admired the beauty of the Bay and realized just how happy I was to be back in it. 

My mom and I

Upon our arrival at El Cerrito, I was welcomed by my mom who gave me a big hug as soon as I stepped off the shuttle. My mom means the world to me and has been with me through everything. Finally getting to be with her brought me a great sense of relief and happiness because I was finally home. 

We were also welcomed home by Don who ended our trip in true ILC fashion, by taking pictures.

Our last cohort picture

Veni, Vidi, Vici

Campus North Residential Commons, where I stayed.

It was the final day at the University of Chicago, and I'm not entirely sure what I'll miss the most. There were so many things to love about being there. The people, the independence, the academics the scenery, the new things to do and explore every day were all contributing factors in making my memories of my time in Chicago something I will cherish forever. I'm usually not the most emotional of people, but the thought that I could never relive these three weeks brought a tear to my eye. My sister thought I would miss home after being away from the house for five weeks for the first time (two at a summer camp before the Chicago Immersion program), but I didn't, surprisingly. The only thing that I missed was my family. Home is not where the hearth is. You can learn to like any place you may stay, but people are what makes you love it. Home is where your family is, where your friends are, or wherever the people are that make your life unique.

One of my favorite spots on campus.

Anyway, enough with the sentimental stuff (did I mention that I'm bad at dealing with emotions?), and onto what actually happened. I woke up at 7:30 in the morning to have breakfast with and say my goodbyes to people with early flights. It's rather sad that I met few people from California, as I find it unlikely that I will be able to see the people scattered across faraway states again. Well, that is what texting is for, I suppose.

My friends took off at 9 to O'Hare, which left me a while to clean out the room, make sure I had everything, pack up, and head downstairs to check out before the Admiral came to pick us up at 10:30. I was ready at 9:40, so I took the extra time to explore campus and get my dad the Cards Against Humanity expansion pack that I had taken note of when we all went to get sweatshirts and check in with the Admiral. It is kind of stupid that I chose to explore twice in the 24 hours before I left instead of doing it early on so I had an idea of what cool places I could go to study or hang out. Better late than never, though, right?

The main plaza.

John came a little bit later than expected, as the driver had gotten lost, but we still had a huge time cushion for our flight at 1:20. The drive to the airport could not have been more than a half hour, and we shared with each other what we had thought of the Immersion program and Chicago in general. There were virtually no lines, which was kind of surprising for a Friday, but I guess people just like to fly out in the afternoon. Checking baggage and security were a breeze, and we had plenty of time to eat lunch and relax before boarding began.

The flight was around three hours, which still amazes me. We flew across two-thirds of the country, and it felt longer the last time I went there. I watched a few episodes of The Office and slept for an hour or two before we arrived.

Home sweet home.

Our shuttle was waiting for us as we arrived, and it was nice to have all of that space to ourselves. After another 30-40 minute drive, we were finally home. Or at least close to it. My house is only a few blocks away from El Cerrito High. We greeted our parents, took a few photos, and departed. I hung out with my parents for the rest of the day and talked about all everything that I had done and saw and learned. I wish my sister could have been there too, but sadly she was away, working at the camp that I had just left a few weeks prior. That's all I have for you right now, but there will be two more blogs, which you should check for on Tuesday and Thursday. Good night!

Thank You Ivy League Connection

As soon as my parents pulled up in our red Toyota Corolla, a tear rolled down my eyes. My dad was driving and my mom was in the front passenger seat. As soon as they made a U-Turn to the loading zone, my mom wiped her tears, thinking I would not notice. My dad did the same. The last time I recalled my father having teary eyes was in 2014, when we were coming back from Nepal.

My parents are my world.

Frankly speaking, the past 3 weeks have been the best 3 weeks of my life. People back in the dorm vibe a lot with my energy, and relate to many of my political opinions. I can't imagine that we were selected as ILC'ers over 5 months ago. Ever since I got selected, I felt as if I was ready to head out and explore Chicago, as a University of Chicago Maroon! And having experienced it all, I have achieved another level of confidence and hunger. This level is 10 times stronger, though. I feel as ready as ever to go out there to the real world and conquer. 

My parents, repeatedly, tell me that in a tolerant America, one's racial, or financial background should not pose a barrier to success. They are undoubtedly right. My friends back in Nepal could hope that these opportunities are the ones that they would receive. They have the same hunger, desire, and passion but are posed with political greed and financial instability that undermines their real potential. Being in America, I feel as fortunate as ever. My parents surely would not have been able to spend thousands and thousands of dollars, all while coordinating the trip but Don managed to do everything. He has mentored me from Day One to make my transition easier to UChicago. 

Don Gosney (I realized I did not have a photo with him)

Love and compassion can't translate to a monetary value, thus I can't repay Don back but I definitely can and will shower him back with the same love that I have received over the past 6 months. Compassion, as Dalai Lama mentions in his book, The Art of Happiness, is when one feels another's suffering and wishes to end it. Take a boulder of rock, as an example. If there is a boulder of rock crushing someone, an empathetic person would feel the rock, crushing his or her chest whereas a compassionate person would do all he or she can to end his or her suffering. That is what Don has done. No matter how big the problem is, he has stepped into my shoes, and done all he can to help me out. When we were going to Chicago, he lent us loaner items to borrow and gave us FREE money. And when we were at Chicago, being over 2000 miles away, when we texted him he replied instantly, to make sure everything was going well. Now that I am back in California, it is my duty to do the same. Anyone who gives me the opportunity to learn or gives me an education is one who I really idolize. My parents received minimal education, and that's what gives me the feeling that I have to push myself to achieve my parent's vision. One who eases my road to my parents and my vision is one who I can call a true friend. 

Apart from growing a few centimeters, I have noticed many changes, after I came back to California. I am starting to understand what compassion actually is. I recall plenty of memories when my sister cried because much of her coursework was difficult or some of our family problems questioned her success, but I felt that she did that to gain sympathy. Now, learning what compassion actually means, I have grown and realized that I have to put myself in her shoes. My friends at UChicago are very diverse. Some of them are as energetic as I am or even emotional as my sister is. Now, being able to explore much of the hidden parts of people's lives, I can relate even more to people on a personal basis. Though I can't call myself completely a compassionate person, I certainly can say that I have developed a lot of it, due to my experience at UChicago. 

Being happy with progress is second on the list. The school system is structured like a hierarchy - some are top and some are bottom. At Middle College, academically, I felt that I was on the very top. I compared myself relative to every person I met, thinking that life was more of a competition than a truly valuable experience. Now, I had to step out of my comfort zone. Frankly speaking, in Economics, relative to my classmates, I was on the bottom 25% of the class. I knew nothing. They spoke with large phrases - Risk Aversion, Marginal Cost Carve, Average Variable Cost,  etc. - whereas I barely spoke because I knew very little. These student's parents went to the top schools in the nation - Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc. whereas my parents only graduated high school. This is what I was doing incorrectly - comparing myself relatively to every single person I met. A class is not about your grades but your takeaway. Whereas some students realized their strengths and were very happy, I realized my weaknesses and I am even happier. Progress is better than having an absolute advantage. If I can achieve X amount of tasks with minimal resources then that is much better than having every single resource given to you, all for free. I want to improve upon my weaknesses. Originally, I was planning to study Computer Science and Finance but for the sake of it, I think we are going to have to add Economics to that list. 

I redid all of my Problem Set for the exam

Adaptability is the third core take-way through the Ivy League Connection. At home, I did things a certain way. Over at Chicago, I had to adapt. My parents have always done chores at home, folded my clothes, and did my laundry so it would not take time away from my education. At UChicago it was different because I had to find the right balance; I had to adapt quickly to the given situation, something that I was not completely used to. Both my parents were not there. As difficult as it felt, I had to essentially manage my own time to do my laundry, fold clothes, do small chores, socialize and more importantly learn. The practice of adaptability, indeed, has made me a better person. 

Professor Min

There are many valuable experiences I took away from Chicago. I have realized that my parents mean everything to me. As soon as I hopped in the car heading home, we discussed life. They are getting older, and I am finally growing up. As much as I want to stay as a kid forever, the truth is I CAN'T! It is time to use the opportunities given and change the world for the better. 

When there is gender inequality that threatens many of the people in my home country, it is time for me to step in. When there is price discrimination that adds to capitalism and takes away from the poor, it is time for me to step in. When there is a big education achievement gap (due to minimal financial resources for a family), it is time for me to step in. This Econ intuition that Professor Min repetitively talks about does not limit itself to the classroom, but rather expands to the world. One person can change the world. 

Thank you Ivy League Connection for this experience. I am truly grateful. 

[MSJ] - Day 23: The End of a Journey

My and others' luggage in front of the elevator
(the guy checking his bags is Jeffrey)

Yesterday was the last day of an awesome trip. I started the day by finishing packing up. It was strange to see my room bare again, reminding me of the way it was when I first arrived. With all my stuff packed up, I brought my luggage to the lounge and said goodbye to people as they left. Checkout was before 9, and we were leaving at 11, so I was chilling in the lounge for a little while, seeing people off. A little before 9 I brought my luggage down with some friends who were also going to wait before leaving. I said my final goodbyes to my friends and my RAs, then Shreejal, Kayla, Isaac and I popped into the uber that John had arrived in.

Rylee and I wearing our UChicago hoodies

There wasn't any bad traffic on the way to the airport, and we arrived relatively quickly. We checked our bags in and went through security without any problems. Coincidentally, our flight left 20 minutes after Rylee, and so I ran into her at her gate while we were looking for food.

The Bay Area from the air

I then had a delicious (like possibly the best I'd ever had) pulled pork sandwich, which I ate while waiting for boarding at the gate. The flight itself was longer than I thought, but I slept for most of it which made time go faster, and for the rest of the flight I took advantage of the in-flight entertainment offers to watch "Shaq does Shark Week". Not the most intellectually stimulating show, but definitely interesting enough for the last hour of the flight.

After landing safely, we picked up our luggage and hopped on the shuttle that would take us back to El Cerrito High. The brief amount of time between the airport doors and the shuttle was enough to remind me of the difference between a Chicago summer and a Bay Area "summer", and I was glad for my UChicago hoodie. I was designated the "official texter" for the journey back, which meant that I was responsible for sending Don texts as we approached El Cerrito, albeit slowly due to the heavy Bay Area traffic.

Getting back in front of El Cerrito High and taking pictures meant that we had come full circle from the cold foggy Thursday morning when this all started. Tired, hungry, but extremely satisfied from the trip I had just taken, I was on my way home for the first time in three weeks.

The Final Countdown

I had to wake up rather early today, as I wanted to arrive at breakfast right as it opened at 7:45. The plan was to eat breakfast until 8 and then head up to the observatory with my two other project partners to rehearse our presentation. In reality, it took another half an hour for the two of them to finish breakfast, which still left us a good half an hour to practice before class started. We had to start at nine, an hour earlier than usual, so we would have time to listen to all of the presentations before we left.

My project partners.

Our presentation went rather well. I think we divided up the speaking well into distinct sections while also being clear and concise. The latter was important, as questions at the end of each presentation often cause people to go over the time limit. Collectively, we went over an hour past the time we were meant to be done by. It would be impossible to cover each and every topic in this blog, especially because I don't understand most of them. Some examples of what people did projects on are: coronal mass ejection, calculating the Hubble Constant, taking and developing pictures of the moon using the 40-inch refracting telescope, and creating HR diagrams of different star clusters. These are all very interesting subjects, and I highly recommend looking them up and perhaps even doing some research of your own.

The library.

Once the presentations were all finished, we went down to the dorm to pack up, put our bags on the bus, and return our room keys. We were given just a few minutes to wolf down lunch, and then we were off. I feel like it might have been better to start presentations earlier, as we knew from previous presentations that we tended to go overtime. However, this bit of feedback might not matter anyways, as the Yerkes Observatory is likely to close down by this time next year. I'm very sad about this, as it is a magical place with an amazing atmosphere. On the other hand, I can see why the University of Chicago would want to do so. It must be expensive to upkeep, and all of their telescopes have been obsolete in terms of resolution for decades now. The program might be missing an important piece next year, but I am confident that the teachers will find an appropriate replacement.

The view from the steps of the Yerkes Observatory.

We arrived at Campus North by 4 o'clock, and I brought my stuff in and rested in my room for a short while. I was starving from our short lunch, so I went down to dinner in the Baker Dining Commons as it began. This has to be one of the significant downsides of being here. I get hungry at odd times, and sometimes the meal schedule does not line up with my needs. 

After dinner, I began on the blog while my friends napped, and we went out at 8 to explore more of the campus. We made our way into a surprising number of buildings for the time of the evening, and I found some amazing spots that looked like they were barely used. I especially like the buildings that combined an old structural style with modern windows, doors, and furniture.

That was about it for the day. The trip to the Yerkes Observatory was far more intense and useful than I had expected, and despite my initial misgivings about leaving the friends I had made for the last week, I am really happy that I was able to go. It is really sad to leave everything here behind, but seeing my family and home again I'm sure will make up for it. Good night!

The Sadness of Goodbyes

Today marked the last day of class and of our time here in Chicago. As I sit next to my friends and look out at the views of the city it is bittersweet to think tomorrow at this time I will be back home. Although I have missed California, the friendships I have made over the last three weeks have made this place feel like home and, as always, it is hard to leave home.

Since today was our final day of class, it was spent presenting our final projects. The presentations worked kind of like a science fair. Half of the students would be at their poster presenting while the rest got to walk around and listen to each other’s presentations. My group was in the first round of presentations so I spent the first hour of class giving my presentation a minimum of 10 times. Although I was nervous about the presentations last night, it actually felt good to get to share with our classmates everything we learned through our hard work and research.

Dr. Fineschi, Dawn, and I

In the few hours after class, my time was spent saying goodbye to lots of the new friends I made during my time here. Many of my classmates planned to leave shortly after class so I spent time with them and our professors taking pictures and exchanging contact information. Also planning to leave today, was Cecilia. Maria and I spent the last couple hours with her before it came time for her to leave.

Once we had said our goodbyes to Cecilia, I spent the night packing my things for tomorrow's flight and watching movies with Adela and Maria to celebrate the last night we would spend together.

The ones I will miss the most 

Most of today was spent saying goodbye to the people and things that have been a significant part of my life for the past few weeks. Although this was difficult, I am incredibly thankful I got to experience those things in the first place. Getting to take a course on a subject I am truly passionate about has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. It was incredible not only to learn so much but to get to do it alongside people who are incredibly passionate about their education. The drive in these students has made me want to work harder, study longer, and overall just be better.

The memories and friends I have made in Chicago are something I will cherish for the rest of my life. As sad as it is to be leaving, I know it will not be forever as the weeks spent here will undoubtedly bring me back to this incredible city. But until then, the time has finally come to say, goodbye Chicago.