August 01, 2023 What surprised you the most about the Pre-College Summer Session? The amount of friends I made. Before I arrived, all of my expectations for the program were purely art focused and the social aspects like the field trips and free time were more of an afterthought. But being surrounded by really like-minded people with similar interests made it really easy to form connections with my classmates and even people from other majors. I quickly came to appreciate the amount of freedom outside of class we got to hang out and bond. What aspect of the program has had the biggest impact on you? I think the whole college aspect of the program had the biggest impact on me. It really demystified and reduced my anxiety surrounding college life, including what it was like living in a dorm and taking classes in a college environment. I think it taught me how to be more independent and manage my time better. How has your artistic practice changed from being a part of the program? I really enjoyed the drawing class we all took in the mornings. It made me realize how much things like figure drawing and perspective drawings can improve your practice by expanding your mental library and giving you more tools to use when drawing from life. What was your favorite experience, outside of the classroom? Hanging out with my friends in the College Center. We spent a lot of nights challenging each other to games of pool, playing sardines in the pitch-black painting studios, and watching movies. One night, we stayed up until midnight watching Howl's Moving Castle in the completely empty auditorium, which was a LOT of fun. What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about coming to Pre-College Summer Session? Make friends!! Talk to people, hang out, go off campus together, get boba, play with hot wheels, do karaoke, just generally make the most out of the two and a half weeks (it goes a lot faster than you think) and all the opportunities provided. Additionally, take advantage of the wonderful Instructors and Teaching Assistants to soak up as much knowledge as possible and make some great art that you can be proud of. (Also, bring snacks to share. Great for friend making.)