The Bates Summer Scholars take two Bates courses during their six-week session.  These are courses normally taught in a twelve-week semester, but students are taking a two-course load instead of the usual four courses. Nevertheless, things move at a fast clip. Classes meet several times a week, and labs two or more times per week.

The goal of the academic program is to introduce first-year students to college-level math and science. Class meetings are lively, informal,  and discussion-based. Labs are hands-on investigations of complex questions.

The math course, for example, is less about the algebraic manipulation of mathematical expressions (usually the focus of high school math) and more about mathematical reasoning, logic, and problem solving strategies. Students investigate some of the greatest ideas in mathematics through activities and discussions.  Topics from the course come from several branches of mathematics such as number theory, probability, statistics, chaos theory, geometry, and topology, all of which are covered in greater detail in upper-level courses for math majors.

The science course focuses on designing experiments, analyzing data, and presenting conclusions. Students find Bates science labs to be quite different from high school versions. Labs at Bates don't ask you to replicate a process and fill in the blanks; they really make you think.

Course Descriptions for Summer 2009:

Great Ideas in Mathematics. Are there two non-bald people on Earth with the same number of body hairs? Are all infinities created equal? Can the observation of things that occur in nature lead us to mathematical generalities? What about mathematical certainties? Is there a 4th dimension? Can we see it? In this course, students use their imagination to grapple with challenging mathematical concepts. The process enables them to master techniques of effective thinking, experience the joy of discovering new ideas, and feel the power of figuring out things on their own. [Q] Taught by Grace Coulombe. (For more information: Math 110 at a Glance)

Energy. Energy is everything. Every biological organism needs energy for its functions, from the most basic to the most complex. Human societies depend on external energy sources for transportation, commerce, and agriculture. Understanding what energy is, how we generate it, and how we use it is important for every citizen. This course explores energy with a particular emphasis on how energy and chemistry are related. Taught by Josh Henry.

Working Together

A key feature of the Summer Scholars Program is the degree to which students study together. "If I don't understand something, I can go to my neighbors," said one 2007 scholar. "Everybody helps everybody, and nobody is selfish about it."  Living together in one house invites this sort of collaborative learning – while some students prefer to work alone, most gather spontaneously to work out challenging material in study sessions. Upperclass student teaching assistants also regularly run review and help sessions. "The academic aspects of the program merged with the social," said one student. "We got to know each other while doing homework and helping each other out at the house and in labs."  

Beyond the Summer

As the Summer Scholars enter the fall semester with the rest of the first-year class, they continue to connect with student mentors who have participated in the program in previous years or who have served as residence fellows or teaching assistants. The mentoring program includes regular meetings where the Summer Scholars reconnect and discuss a broad range of issues facing first-year students transitioning to college.