Flying through TRIP, midway thoughts and experiences byKaiden Ramessur

My first few weeks at TRIP have been one of the most interesting experiences of my life. Broadly, TRIP is a taste of the real science world and is what every aspiring experimental scientist should at least look into. It’s a perfect middle ground between full on scientific jobs and high-school level science which perfectly prepares high schoolers for the real world. I honestly feel so lucky to be a part of the class. 

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My first few weeks have been very fun. As a class, we’ve finished up our Kickoff experiments, analyzed the data, and presented our findings. The actual kickoff experiment was very fun, and while I certainly made some mistakes, it perfectly filled the role as a practice run for the proper independent project that we will start next week. The presentation was nerve-racking but ended up being a huge learning opportunity for me and others!

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In the second half of TRIP, we have an “independent project”, where we design, plan out, execute, and analyse our very own projects. Deciding on mine was a rollercoaster of feedback, editing, and pivoting but in class today (Feb 14th 2026), I was able to pin down exactly what I wanted to do. Deciding also taught me a lesson: You don’t always end up doing what you thought initially, as I basically fully changed my idea until nothing about it was the same. This wasn’t a sad thing, but rather an evolution of my original idea, an idea that I can defend and use to make the best of TRIP.

In addition to all of the learning experiences, TRIP has also introduced me to other science lovers my age – my classmates! They are all so cool and I had an opportunity to talk with them during class, and it is genuinely awesome to see other science fans learning and growing just like I am!

See you soon!
​      - Kaiden Ramessur