My Experience in the ECP program

Life Science has become a totally new experience for me, compared to high school. Previously, I never had experience in a lab as my school did not own one. Life Science practical’s consists of fun filled tasks and the application of knowledge. At first, I did not know how to use a microscope properly as I broke a slide twice in a row, but now I have more experience when it comes to working with a microscope. Being in the ECP program is an opportunity which I feel lucky to have, as most mainstream students complain that they have just been "thrown" into a course that they are not prepared for. I have also made new friends and learnt new skills which might prove to be important for my future. Life science at university and high school are completely different from each other. The work has become more, work is much more detailed, rules have to be followed for assignments and understanding certain work takes time. I also had to adapt to many new parts in life science which I did not do in school. Now that I am at university, I have to write reports that are marked using strict guidelines such as citations and references. Previously, I simply referenced www.wikipedia.com, for example as a reference. This year however, referencing has to be done according a certain style. I also feel very blessed as a student to be able to work in the Life Science building which features state of the art lab equipment, as it is a new building and older students did not get the chance to experience that. At high school, teachers constantly discourage us by giving us the idea that lecturers at university are evil and do not care about anyone. However, lecturers like Maryke and Mozart have proven them wrong as these lecturers are nice people and tend to care for us as first year students. These lecturers make us feel welcome and comfortable to be in their classes.   

I find that ISC 153 is most annoying and monotonous module that the ECP program consists of. Even though it is annoying, ISC 153 has taught me many new skills and lessons. My ability to work with other people and show tolerance towards others has somewhat improved. Sometimes working in a team can be tough as we might not always agree with each other, thus leading to disagreements or arguments. ISC has equipped me with the skill of organising my work and how important it is to work consistently. My computer skills with MS word and Excel have also improved as I did not know what it means to “hyperlink” work or use Google drive and because I never showed any interest in finding out what it is. Living and Learning is the only part of ISC that I enjoy. Verushka Daniels is a very caring person and she interacts with us as if she is a friend and not a facilitator, thus we feel comfortable being around her.