1. My experience with RISE (Summer Bridge)<br />My experience with the RISE program has been a memorable one since the beginning. When I was told that I was accepted into the program a million thoughts and feelings went through my head. I was excited, happy, intimidated, and a little scared. Would I be good enough? Would I fail miserably? Should I do it? And of course the lazy teenager inside me reared its ugly head; do I want to spend most of my summer studying? Obviously you know what I chose and, honestly, if I had the chance to do it again I would. <br />With RISE I learned a lot. Three hours sitting in a classroom and then four more hours spent studying was difficult to get used to, but worth it in the end. I loved the class and I figured out I love biology-I’m planning on switching majors. This summer I was assured that what I chose to study was something that I really liked and that’s reassuring (I didn’t want to spend four years of my life studying something that made me miserable). I had to dedicate a lot of time to the class and well… it wasn’t easy. When I was being interviewed they had asked me if there was something I was looking to improve during the summer; I had said I wanted to work on my procrastination. I’m glad to say it got better. I still procrastinate a little, but I’m way better than I was before. A little longer and I’ll be doing everything with time to spare.<br />Weather it was doing experiments or working on our proposals, there was literately never a dull moment in the lab (I’m pretty sure it was the lab coats they make you feel so cool). There was always movement in the lab; always learning how to use different equipment and how to apply different techniques. I acquired many useful skills in the lab this summer. Now in August I’m not completely lost, in fact I feel like I know a thing or two.<br />For me RISE wasn’t just about the science-though it was the main thing. In that summer I made some great friends that I know I’ll be close to for the rest of my college years. One of the things that scared me about college was that. They always told me that you never really made friends in college, not like you did in high school. Since I lived with these people for five weeks we couldn’t help but get close. They were all great people and I’m glad I got the chance to know them. Hopefully we’ll be friends for a long time. <br />In that one summer I felt like I learned more than I have in all my years. This summer was full of firsts for me. My first interview, my first college course, my first time in a real lab, my first time away from home… My summer in RISE helped me grow, not just as a young “scientist” but as a person. After RISE I felt a bit more mature, more ready for the college life that’s ahead of me. I know there is still a lot of growing left for me, but I feel like I’m one step ahead-I can even cook now.<br />