UGA: Freshman Summer College Experience

Max Turnier
Jul 25, 2017 · 4 min read
Downtown Athens, GA

Going into Freshman Summer College Experience (FSCE.) I did not know what to expect other than I was going to summer school. I was only going to earn 6 hours of credit, but that was about it. A friend recommended it to me, but did not confess all of the fun times I have.

I am an 18 year old from Louisville, Kentucky. Being 480 miles from home was hard at first. I struggled with home sickness the first few nights, but shortly after I was able to adjust to my new foreign home.

I knew that school entailed going to class but little did I know that the program would teach me about service and the importance of good habits.

FCSE offers a variety of activities and encourages you be independent and have fun on your own. I have found myself engaging in activities from pavilion picnics to high ropes courses. My favorite activity was no game of patty cake, however.

For my service learning class, we volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. This is a non-profit organization that remodels homes for low income families. Habitat has been around Athens since 1988, providing hundreds of homes to families in need. They help all sorts of families but they give priority purchases to single mothers. Because I already had experience in home renovation, I knew I could really help these guys out.

The first time we arrived at the sight, the houses were practically in shambles. There was no doubt in my mind that there was a lot of work to be done. The people who work for Habitat are all genuine people especially the construction leader of the operation, Doug. This man was a quick witted and legendary character who always managed to keep a lit cigarette on him at all times. He spoke with a comforting and familiar voice. After introducing us to his crew which included two volunteers from Germany, Doug assigned us all jobs.

Doug asked me to help him with a job that required experience in home renovation. He knew I was fit for the task, because I had told him that home repairs was my job back at home. He introduced me to another guy named Bruce who laid out the plans for fixing rotted wood beams in the ceiling. The first time I walked into the room, I thought the place had been struck by lightning. As gusts of wind drifted into the room through the gapping hole in the roof, dust pours down from the ceiling.

After Bruce explained his primary objective, Nick and I got to work. Nick is my classmate and newfound partner in getting s*** done. I am glad to have met him along with all my other classmates.

Doug also showed our service group how to pour concrete, dig ditches, build roofs, install dry wall, and fix ceilings. I will probably need these skills later in life for when my kids and family ruin the house. It might even give me an excuse later in life for skipping Sunday brunch with my uninteresting Aunt or something. These guys gave me perspective and the valuable knowledge of carpentry, but in the end, they may have helped me more than I helped them.

If I have the time in the future, I would love to go back and help those guys with whatever project they have to offer. There really is something special in the air when you get to help those people out.

All of these opportunities were brought to me through the summer program, but also so were the people. Meeting so many new people has been awesome. Remembering names is still a struggle but most of the people here feel down to earth and respectable. I have been able to meet a bunch of kids rushing fraternities. Some of these guys I already know will be my buddies for life.

If I had to make the decision of doing FCSE over again, I would. The benefits of FCSE outweigh the difficulties. I was able to live the College experience at a mature level, and it has taught me to learn and manage time more effectively.

In just a month, I got to know the campus, the people and the college experience in general. I would recommend FSCE because you get to know everything about college before it has even begun. I wouldn’t recommend this to a person who is trying to have a relaxed summer because this program can be stressful if your time is not managed properly.

After participating in the University of Georgia’s Freshman Summer college experience (FCSE), I have an advantage over the students coming in the fall.

Commit to Serve

2017 UGA Freshman College — Service Learning

Max Turnier

Written by

call god with the cell

Commit to Serve

2017 UGA Freshman College — Service Learning

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