I was wondering if anyone has attended this program at NC State: Summer College in Biotechnology and Life Sciences (SCIBLS)
I am currently a junior and have applied. Essentially, I want to know if it is “worth it” in your point of view and what exactly I will gain from attending? Thanks!
bump
I guess nobody has ever heard of this program… I’ve only seen one post about it on this entire website lol
It sounds like a great program. The obvious benefits are listed here: http://harvest.cals.ncsu.edu/academic/index.cfm?pageID=1975 You’ll leave with 3 NCSU credits, a good idea of what it’s like to be a science major, and if you do well - some sources for letters of recommendation. However, earning 3 NCSU credits in a 4-week time span is not going to be a piece of cake. You should be prepared to work hard while you’re there. Good luck!
Thank you for the reply!
@RunningOutofRoom
Did you end up taking it? How did it go?
-Sorry for bumping this thread-
@Kinkarn Yes I did! I thought it was a great experience and like most summer programs at State, it was very well-run. You would stay at the Honors Village, which is conveniently connected to Clark Dining Hall (best one on campus imo) and is a three minute walk from Talley Student Union. There are around four RA’s, and I believe all of ours actually completed this program when they were in high school. The RAs for the guys were cool dudes haha.
The class I took (Intro to microbial biotech) provided a great intro to what it would be like to work in a lab, and by the end I felt very comfortable executing basic lab techniques, using different equipment, etc. Each day was probably split 50/50 between doing lab work and lectures, with a few days being more lecture-oriented. One aspect that I really liked is the fact that my professor spent a good chunk of time talking about real-life applications of the material/other cool stuff. The final week was spent on a group (usually three to four people) research lab, which all students in the program must complete. On the final day, we had our own research symposium-esque event where we made posters and presented our work to parents/faculty, kind of like an undergrad research symposium would be. It’s a lot of fun and they prepare you well for it!
The classes are somewhat fast-paced, as you will be learning a semester’s worth of material in four weeks (classes are Monday through Friday and usually lasted from 9 AM to 3 PM with an hour lunch break). However, nobody ever had too much trouble keeping up as long as they stayed on top of things. You will have quizzes and homework, but again, in my class, we were prepared. I can’t say the same for the other two classes lol. Fun fact: one of our homework assignments, which was a presentation, basically covered an entire chapter of bio that I learned in school this year (so yeah I didn’t need to study for that test haha).
tl;dr - If State is your top choice/one of your top choices and you’re definitely interested in something on the science/STEM track, I would consider SCIBLS. You’ll become really familiar with Central Campus while you’re at it. If you have any questions feel free to ask!