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The 2008 camp will run from May 25th to July 6th, 2008. The distribution of projects will differ slightly from the 2007 schedule.
Freshmen Camp Schedule:
Sample schedule from 2007
The dates and activities posted above are planned months in advance of the Field Camp session. Dates and topics may change subject to students' academic progress. Also, unanticipated circumstances related to logistics may result in significant revisions to this schedule. The staff attempts to keep open the dates posted here as OPEN, but the first priority is the delivery of a complete and rigorous course. Students and staff are expected to place their obligation to the Field Camp during the six weeks as their first priority. Lectures, assignments, and exams will not be tailored to personal schedules. Don't make any other plans for this six-week period.
To register for camp, please fill out the Freshmen Field Camp Application (see link below). Scholarships are available by filling out an application (see link below). The deadline for applications is April 15, 2008.
Freshmen Field Camp Application
Freshmen Field Camp Scholarship Application
NOTE: All Field Camp applicants must apply through the department with the above application. If you are not currently an LSU student, you must also apply to the university through the office of undergraduate admissions http://www.lsu.edu/paurec.
Course Description:
The Freshman course covers in 6 weeks the amount of material that is ordinarily covered in 32 weeks on LSU main campus. Consequently, lectures and laboratory exercises are very condensed and presented at a rapid pace. The student's daytime is spent in class or in the field. Evenings are spent either in lecture class, lab, drafting field project work, or studying for exams. Hence, students are ordinarily too busy during the week (Monday through Friday evenings) to entertain guests. Because of the condensed nature of the course, there is little flexibility in administering early or make-up exams.
The student's grade in the course is based upon his/her performance on lecture & laboratory exams, field trip exercises & quizzes, and field projects. Field project dates depend upon accessibility to field areas and on student progress. They are therefore too uncertain to post in advance, but will be concentrated in the 5th and 6th weeks.
Freshmen students are allowed visits only from immediate family members (see Rules). The Camp Director and the Freshman Course Director must be notified 3 days in advance of a person visiting a Freshman Field Camp student. All visitors must be introduced upon arrival to the Camp Director or the Staff-on-Duty. All visitors must sign a liability waiver upon arrival at Camp. Freshman students are not permitted to leave Camp during the 6 week period unless accompanied by Camp staff or a parent or adult guardian.
Preparing for Camp
For many Freshmen, this is the first time to be away from home, family, and friends for such a long time. Consequently, they're anxious about how well they are prepared emotionally and materially for the experience. Initially, the student becomes part of a population of about 40 energetic, intelligent, and personable Field Campers. The intimate setting of the Camp puts staff and students in contact 24 hours a day. A very small number of Freshman students choose to leave Camp before completing the course, and decisions to leave the course are easily accommodated. Most stay and thoroughly enjoy the 6-weeks. At the end, some don't want to go home. Most students develop very close friendships that ease the way onto the Baton Rouge campus, and these friendships remain close and strong through the remaining years at LSU.
To prepare materially the student needs to consider personal items and school supplies. The most important personal items are clothing, personal hygiene products, and prescription medications (if any). Space in the vans and cabins is limited, so students are asked to bring only items that are absolutely necessary.
Clothing
The Camp facility is primitive, dusty, and isolated. The cabins do not have heaters, air conditioners, or running water. Hiking through some of the shrubbery and cacti will leave clothing stained, sweaty, and torn. Appearance is not a serious issue at Camp, but comfort, especially staying cool or warm, certainly is.
Students and staff typically wear clothes that are bound for the thrift store or the trash. Some of the preferred apparel around Camp include: shorts, jeans, summer skirts & dresses, sarongs, T-shirts, tank tops, and sneakers or sandals . Only one or two changes of moderately nice clothes will be needed for the occasional trip to town, including to church if desired. The longest period of time a student is likely to be away from a washer and dryer is during 7-day field trips.
Cargo space during field trips and between Baton Rouge and Camp is limited. It is requested that a student bring at most 8 complete changes of Camp clothes plus two "nice" sets. In addition, Freshmen students will definitely need a set of winter weather garments (thermal underwear, gloves and hat, parka, wool sweater, wool socks) for trips to the northwest. Snow fall and freezing temperature are almost certain there in early June (see photo below). Colorado Springs is near Camp in case additional or replacement clothing is needed, but shopping time is limited and winter clothes are typically not in stock during May - July.
Personal hygiene: Leave massive pampering and make-up kits at home. There is little time and no need for manicures, pedicures, facials, hair styling, etc. Make-up is unnecessary in Camp, but a modest painting might be desired for a visit to town or church. Persons with long hair ordinarily tie it back in a pony tail. Some Campers join in a tradition of not shaving for the entire 6 weeks.
Medications: Be certain to bring enough of any prescription medication to last the entire 6 weeks. Re-filling a Louisiana prescription while in Colorado may be difficult or impossible. Also, parents are welcome to ask the staff to monitor their son or daughter's medication.
There is little free time to work on a hobby (unless it's plant, bug, or rock collection) or read a stack of novels. Hobby items that involve delicate pieces will likely be damaged. The Camp has a variety of games and a small library.
For more information about material preparation and school supplies, click on the what to bring link below. Notice that not all of the supplies are required for Freshmen Campers.
Health and Safety
What to bring
Contact Information
Freshmen travel to Camp
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