17, it’s how old I turned a few days ago on July 13th. So far SSP has been a great experience for me, and I want to share 17 things I think about SSP so far.
1.It is extremely important to ask for help. I realized this early on when we got our first PSet. I tried to do it alone, and I really struggled. That’s when I realized that these PSets were not meant to be done alone. They are basically impossible to do alone, and we have to work together to get them done. In my opinion, that is what I like most about them, they kinda force us to mush our brains together to get things done, and it’s just so satisfying when you get you through a tough problem. It also really helps that basically everyone is willing to help when you ask (especially you Matthew Z)
2. The food is actually pretty good. The C4C is pretty solid when it comes to options and I am grateful for that.(They have got pretty good ice cream)
3. GO Team Badlands! My teammates, Jesus and Charlotte, are really chill, and we get our stuff done pretty well. Jesus is really good at coding and is always willing to help out when I need help with. Me and Charlotte also work really well with each other(if you ignore the fact that somehow we both kept screwing up doing ephemeris every time until Charlotte figured out all the different ways we could possibly screw it up, and got it right). We have the middle shift so we have to stay till 12 whenever we are observing. We were the only team to pick our asteroid, 2015 HH10, and we think we got it right, cause it just moves SOO fast.
4. Don’t make Mia mad.(All that needs to be said)
5. My roommate Sasha is really chill. He is basically one of the coolest people that I have ever met. He is really really good at math, programming, etc. We like to joke that Sasha is good at everything he does, but for all practical purposes, it’s true. Though he is the smartest person I have ever met, what I like most about him is just how willing he is to provide help when we need it. It also really helps that we have a really similar sleep schedule.
6. On the matter of sleep, every hour of sleep feels so much more valuable to me now. It always feels like I never get enough. I guess it doesn’t help that we kinda stay in the computer lab pretty late until Peter or Mia kick us out.
7. Colorado weather is actually crazy. One time it was full on pouring but when I looked there was nothing but blue sky. It also really annoys us for observations.
8. Dr. Dubson is really cool. I think that his lectures are usually pretty interesting. He also likes to frequently promote his PhET simulations whenever he gets the chance and it’s kinda cool that we are being taught by the same person that created so many of the PhET sims we used in school before.
9. The planetarium is very easy to fall asleep in. The chairs are just so comfortable and the vibe with the night sky is just so good. We try not to fall asleep in the Planetarium when we go there, but it’s kinda hard not to.(If anyone asks me if I fell asleep, I will deny it)
10. We get to take some really cool pictures when we are done with our main observations. I do astrophotography back home, so when I found out that we get to take pretty pictures I grew really excited. It’s not everyday I get a chance to take astro photos using a 20 inch telescope with tracking and filters, so I try to make the most of it with my team. On my birthday we took a really cool picture of the Lagoon Nebula, and it kind of blows my mind.
11. Chaos ensues when the two Matthews sit together. When they talk to each other, an uncontrolled positive feedback loop occurs. Like one time, they were talking about how the Earth was flat and how Elon Musk was funding gravity. We think it’s pretty funny, but it drives the TAs nuts.
12. The campus here is really gorgeous. I personally like the architecture style and the Flatirons in the background are really pretty.
13. It is very useful to have plenty of alarms. One day somehow both Sasha and I slept through our alarms and didn’t wake up until 9:03 when I checked my phone, and realized what just happened. Luckily we were only a couple minutes late so it was not too bad.
14. SSP has been really fun. I struggled a little bit early on but I quickly got used to the way things work. We have had so much fun, whether it’s going hiking on the Flatirons, visiting Pearl Street, or just chilling in the Arnett lobby. One of my new favorite things has been playing Truth or Dare together late at night, cause we get to find out more about each other.
15. It is important to take breaks. We really used to push ourselves to get our work done as fast as possible, and I sorta pushed myself a bit too much. Everyone has started to realize that we don’t need to get our work done on the day it’s assigned and that we need to take breaks. They really help.
16. I really enjoyed my birthday. After lunch, we went to the Gateway fun park and just had fun go-karting and playing in the arcade. We ate donuts and I really got a chance to relax with everyone. While I missed my parents, I did not feel alone.
17. There are only 11 days of SSP left. While I miss my family, leaving this place will be bittersweet. I don’t I will meet another group of people like these again(I mean in a good way). From the crazy things that Matthew Z says everyday, to the obsession of WUNNA by Gunna that Kenna has, and the corn jokes made by Evan, this is a unique bunch of people that enjoy being around and I will really miss them.
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Hi My name is Siddardh, and I am from North Carolina. I go to Green Hope High School and am a rising senior. I love Astronomy, Physics, and Geography. My favorite hobbies include astrophotography and hiking. SSP CUB 2022 lets goo
