BRISTOL, Maine — During a beautiful end to August and a full week before freshmen moved into the University of Maine to begin their college careers, 40 percent of the incoming first-year class, or roughly 816 students, signed up to start school early.
We joined a group of marine science majors and their professors two-and-a-half hours south of UMaine's flagship Orono campus, at the postcard-worthy glacier-rock coast of Pemaquid Point, where they seemed to happily exchange one final week of their last summer before adulthood.
William Ellis is associate director of UMaine's School of Marine Sciences.
"We refer to this week before the semester starts as 'boot camp' in the School of Marine Sciences, and that's not sit-ups and pushups but muddy boots," Ellis said, standing on a ledge while students explored behind him. "I think this is our 15th year doing the boot camp."
The school-given name for the excursions is "research learning experiences." The trip to Pemaquid was one of 19 offered across various majors at the university. The school said the program is made possible through $320 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation.
Once off the bus, Ellis and other professors led the students down a public path lined by expensive and exclusive seaside properties. As we walked, Professor Heather Leslie told us scientists had been collecting data on the ecosystem there for more than 30 years.
Leslie told the students to meet each other and explore the terrain, searching for sea life along their way. Avery Haskins was a rare non-freshman in the group. The sophomore transfer from Southern Maine Community College seemed quick to make friends on the trip and was excited to launch her journey as a Black Bear and scientist.
"I really love biology, and so I knew that was one of my prime interests," Haskins explained. "And I grew up coming to the ocean all of the time, because I've lived in Maine my whole life. So, I kind of just went with it my freshman year, last year, and I really love it and have decided to stick with it."
The marine science students spent the week living at the Darling Marine Center in nearby Walpole, swimming, dining, and sitting together by the campfire as they pleased.
There would be plenty of time for exams in the months to come. They were learning other valuable lessons, maybe, without realizing it.