A Common Ground
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Upon first arriving at the labs here on the island, it all felt very intimidating. You find yourself surrounded by some of the smartest people you could ever want to meet and wonder how you will fit in during the time here. Later as we all gather into the room that will be our lecture hall, we all stare at the others so different from ourselves. As we go around the room and meet fellow graduate students from around the world, you again wonder where you fit with all these people surrounding you. We take turns discussing our research, trying to explain in a way that everyone understands, while still showing how complex our daily lives are in our research areas. As we all sit and listen, a respect for all the others is apparent. We all understand that we come from different worlds but have a common interest. At this moment, we all anxiously await the knowledge we will gain from this course which describes the mechanism underlying how the central nervous system controls natural movements. We are all excited, but at the same exact time, scared that we will not measure up, with each feeling pulling strongly in the opposite direction. We all admit in hushed tones that the first feelings of unease passes quickly once we grasp those things we thought we didn't know. In actuality, the material is just an extension of the information you have already gotten and stored away for just this very circumstance.
The daily ritual of lectures and lab research turns each day into an adventure...sometimes allowing for a structured pattern. But on most days, this new area sends you to find answers to questions you have never asked before. The initial excitement, you are excited to report, never really diminishes from day to day.
An added bonus is the time spent with the other graduate students. You find that you have many of the same questions and interests from people around the world and discussing these topics becomes a highlight of this trip.
Time passes in the matter of weeks. You now find yourself at the 5th and final week of your adventure. Already looking back to the beginning of your journey, you have remembered so many great moments that you would love to remember for the future.
As we all gather in the bar on one of our final evenings here, we raise our glasses to a memorable 5 weeks and the laughs, as well as frustration, that we have shared day in and day out....To the 2007 summer class at FHL!
Labels: excitement, Friday Harbor Labs, Learning, Science
posted by Sonya @ 7/10/2007 04:33:00 PM,
