SSP is actually fun | Jonathan C.

SSP is actually fun.

Before the start of the program, I pictured 39 geniuses speeding through problem sets while I picked through the problems one by one, trying to catch up. I knew of the low acceptance rates and the rigorous workload. I knew that everyone accepted must not just be talented, but amazingly hard working as well. What I did not know was the environment SSP would make: the environment that everyone made.

You know when school first starts and you don’t get any classwork or homework on that first day? Well that was not SSP. First day in, they threw six different assignments at us. Second day in, they gave us four more assignments. Despite this, the first couple of days are always going to be my favorite days of SSP. In just the past few days, I’ve met some of the coolest people ever, I’ve gained new friends, and best of all, I’ve gained a community. The other tennis players in the program are obviously the cool people I’m talking about. And the other readers who like Brandon Sanderson’s books are just as cool. The most intimidating part of the program… is how crazy good everyone is at trivia. You could probably bring up any fun fact or obscure neuroscience term, and SOMEONE in the program will already know everything about it. And after a few days of getting to know everybody, I STILL think they’re all geniuses, but they’re just not as scary anymore – especially my group mates can’t really dancing – sorry not sorry. 

I’ve learned tons of things in this program already.

First, losing the option to watch some videos at 2x speed is like learning in slow motion. Impossibly hard.

Second, the BLAST protein search is definitely not a blast at all. It’s more like a slowly sliding wall of lava that takes years to get anywhere. Searching for matching Fasta sequences might as well be the slowest thing in the world.

Third, punny puns are the best thing in the world. As long as you don’t miss the punchline.

Don’t tell my mom, but my SSP work meetings are actually fun.