As I wake up at 8:40 AM, the optimal time that allows me to stay asleep as long as I can and still make it to class on time, I am again struck by the idea of just how fortunate I am to be a part of SSP. I still remember working on the application during our snow days in January with a slim hope that someday, I just might be where I am now.
Sure, our dorms may have been built during the times of George Washington, and Phillips Hall may not have been renovated since my grandparents were born, but despite that, what really matters here are the people. I’ve met fellow participants from Ethiopia to China, and the room I’m writing this in right now has people from all over the US. For example, my observation group includes me, from Nebraska; Matek, from California; and Luca, from Delaware, representing our nation all the way from the West Coast through the Midwest to the Northeast.
After barely getting by the first lecture, we head to lunch at Chase where I capitalize on the fact that it’s a buffet, replenishing my energy to make it through our second 3 hour lecture. As we head back to Old West (our dorms) at 4:30, I gather the last of my energy to practice my violin in an empty dorm. I practice until I reach a time where I can just get down to the lawn in front of Old West without being late, cutting it close every time.
After dinner, we go back to Phillips to work on our problem sets (PSETs), the hardest and most challenging part of SSP. I still remember pushing my limits with fellow SSPers on that very first PSET, which ended up being the hardest academic moment of my life. We work on PSETs all the way from 7:45pm to 1:00am; sometimes, all that gets done in that time is 10 questions. However, working alone, I would probably be stuck on some aspect of a problem for 2 hours, exemplifying again the importance of friends and collaboration.
-George J.
