• August 2004
  
• July 2004
  
• June 2004
  

August 2004 / early September

• August 28
  
• I received an e-mail from my advisors, Sam Bowring and Roger Summons, inviting me for lunch on the second of September so that we can discuss my fall term classes.   
  
• August 30
• The weather cooperated, so we had our Terrascope picnic outside.  I spoke with and made friends with several people in the class, and actually knew some people already from other orientation activities, but I did not realize that they were in the class also.  This was a nice opportunity for all of use to get to know one another in a casual setting before classes started.
• August 31
• We had a storytelling session from 10-noon and an ice cream social from 1-3 today.  We also had the opportunity to speak with several Terrascope alumni, to gather their opinions on the experiences that lie ahead for us.  They were all enthusiastic to speak with us, which was encouraging. 
  
• September 2
• I spoke with my two advisors over lunch today.  I decided to take 8.02 (Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism), 3.091 (Introduction to Solid-State Chemisrty), 18.023 (Applied Multivariable Calculus), 21W.732 (Introduction to Technical Communication), the Freshman/Alumni Summer Internship Program, and of course, Mission 2008.
• September 4
• I went with my classmates Harrison and Thu, along with Terrascope alumni Mariela to buy some toys for our Terrascope room (which is equipped with a kitchen, lounge, and computer cluster).  We bought stuffed turtles, snakes, tropical bean-bag seats, a spiky ball, puzzle, and a talking parrot.
Back to Top

July 2004

• July 12
  
• I received an e-mail from the Terrascope program notifying me of my acceptence:

We are delighted to let you know that you have been admitted to the Terrascope program. Welcome!

As a student in Terrascope, you will enroll in two special subjects: 12.000 (Mission 2008) in fall and 1.016 in spring. You will attend mainstream lectures in the science core along with the rest of the incoming class. You also will attend a luncheon each week with your Terrascope peers where you'll hear about the interesting work being done at MIT and beyond. We also are planning some exciting special events, including field trips, during the upcoming academic year.

We have some special orientation events planned for you upon your arrival at MIT. Mark your calendar for the following dates:

Monday, August 30:  Terrascope orientation and picnic 4-6pm in 16-168          
                     Picnic will be outside if weather permits      
        
Tuesday, August 31:  Open house for admitted students - storytelling and games        
                     10-12noon in 16-168

                     Open house for admitted Terrascope students - make ice cream        
                     sundaes, talk to Terrascope alumni 1-3pm in 16-168
        
Thursday, September 2:  Lunch with your advisors

• July 14 onward
• My peers in Mission communicated through e-mail for several weeks.  They seem to have many experiences, and they will bring their diverse talents to the class.  I am looking forward to working with them.
  
Back to Top

June 2004

• June 27
  
• First e-mail from our professor, Kip Hodges:

Hello All,

As the principal instructor for 12.000 (Mission 2008), I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to the class. This should be a really exciting year! I'm busy working on the syllabus for the subject, and I can see that you will find this year's assignment to be very challenging. If you haven't had the opportunity to review the final presentation of last year's class, you might follow the link at:

http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2007/finalpresentation/

If you have any questions regarding the class, please feel free to contact me by responding to this email. Otherwise, I'll see you on the first day of class!

• I watched the presentation in its entirety the next day to get a sense of the quality of work that comes from this class.  The video increased my interest in this class, because I saw that even as a freshman, I can be involved in developing solutions to complex problems, such as how to create a sustainable policy for the Galápagos ecosystem.
• June 28 - 30
  
• I received the second e-mail from Professor Hodges saying that there was an abundance of interest in the Terrascope program this year, and that limited enrollment is necessary to enhance everyone's learning experience.  I wrote a three-paragraph essay, as per the requirement, detailing why I wanted to be part of the class and what talents I thought I could bring to the class. Terrascope is a spring extension course to Mission 2008.  In Terrascope, we will create museum exhibits to educate the public about the Galápagos.  This class is a unique freshman opportunity and I would like to work with my peers on the project.