[Summer Fields at Beloit COllege]Being a Beloiter!

Beloit College is a proud member of Colleges that Change Lives.   Our summer programs reflect the same commitment to rigorous, student-centered learning, meaningful practice and community that is part of “being a Beloiter” during the rest of the year.  You will live in a residence hall with other Fields participants, but you will also have the chance to meet Beloit College students pursuing their research passions or participating in sustainability or community service fellowships.  Walking into the summer coffee house you are likely to hear Center for Language Studies students conversing in Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and Russian as they prepare for their next language immersion class.  The Center for the Sciences with its open space atrium and study nooks is a popular place for students from all different programs to study in the evenings.

Summer Fields students will spend intensive day-time hours engaging in the ideas and practice of their selected course. Visiting a poet’s cabin, analyzing perceptions in Chicago’s Chinatown and seeing how power storage works up close are just some of the excursions that will enhance classroom work.  After class, students will have time to collaborate with classmates on coursework, participate in structured programs that foster an intellectual community, and take time out for organized off-campus group excursions. The Office of Summer Programs, which administers Summer Fields, hosts evening and weekend events that invite students to further discover life in a residential liberal arts context and take advantage of summer events in the broader Beloit community.  Check out A Typical Day for the specifics.

Workshop Opportunities
Students will also be introduced to the college admission process and interface with experienced counselors offering ideas and support regarding the college admissions process—whether you are interested in applying to liberal arts colleges like Beloit or large state universities.  Additionally, students will participate in residential life programming aimed at: developing leadership skills, fostering a sense of community among all Fields participants, and, of course, having fun while enjoying some of the cultural and outdoor amenities in the surrounding region.

Creative Fun
Another part of “being a Beloiter” is having creative fun!  You will have plenty to do outside of class, project work, and fieldwork.  Whether you enjoy movie night in the dorm, open mic at a local coffee shop, excursions to surrounding cities, sports, checking out the museums on campus, frisbee at the river front, night games, making music, exploring the local farmer’s market, hunting for that fabulous vintage bag or discussions and laughter that run late into the night, you will find fellow adventurers among your Fields classmates and mentors. 

Exploring Beloit
Beloit’s city center and riverfront is just a five minute walk down the hill from campus.  This post-industrial city of 37,000 is small enough to easily find your way around but big enough to have rich cultural resources to enjoy, like art galleries, vibrant coffee shops, outdoor music, the Beloit Janesville Symphony and the Beloit Snappers Baseball team.  See Visit Beloit to learn more. We will also venture out to Madison and/or Milwaukee for weekend day trips so you can sample the flavor of other Wisconsin cities.