IEFX Summer Scholars Program gives freshman a head start

After finishing their senior year of high school, most graduates spend their summer attending graduation parties and working at the local pool. For a small group of incoming freshmen in the College of Engineering, summer represents a chance to get a head start on their collegiate future.

According to Michelle Adeoye, programs coordinator for Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience (IEFX), the IEFX Summer Scholars program gives motivated students an opportunity to get a head start taking courses, meet professors, and adjust to university life. The Summer Scholars Program allows 23 incoming engineering students to enroll in six to eight summer credits at the University of Illinois and acclimate to college culture early. There are no mandatory courses for the program, so students are registered for classes ranging from calculus to history.

Summer Scholars will also be taking an IEFX Projects course in which they will work in groups to gain problem-solving experience through practical, hands-on activities. The projects course is part of another IEFX initiative to encourage student cooperation, synergy, and leadership through semester-long projects.

The Summer Scholars will not be completely on their own, however, as they will be joined by a group of six resident project advisors (RPA’s) made up of engineering undergraduate and graduate students.

“RPA’s are a fantastic group of six students who are serving as the mentors for this group of summer scholars,” IEFX Director Bruce Elliot-Litchfield said as he addressed the new students at the Summer Scholars welcoming event. “Our intention for this group is to have a great summer experience, and get a head start on classes.”

For the RPA’s, the Summer Scholars Program is about making sure the students get as much as they can out of the program during the summer.

“I think it’s nice to get used to it with a small group,” said one of the RPA’s, a sophomore in the College of Engineering. “They have a big advantage.”

For international students, an extra two months to adjust to a new and different environment is the perfect way to temper the transition from country to country.

“This is a very unique opportunity to come in, see the campus ahead of time and get to know people,” said incoming computer science student Vignesh Sridhar, who grew up in India and attended high school in Mexico. “You learn better when you’re younger.”

Although this is only its first year, Adeoye believes the Summer Scholar Program has the potential to grow from its current size to accommodate hundreds of future engineers who want to get an early start.
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Contact: Michelle Adeoye, programs coordinator, Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-3829.

Writer: Nick Lund, Engineering Communications Office.

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-7716.