2016 First Year Welcome

SIN 2015 TAs in action. What will SIN 2016 hold in store for our incoming first-year students?

Click the picture to learn more about the SIN bootcamp.

First-years incoming!

In just over one week, the newest cohort of Stanford Neurosciences graduate students will arrive on campus. Immediately after move-in commences, the Stanford Intensive Neurosciences (SIN) course, colloquially known as "bootcamp", will begin. During the two week bootcamp, first-years from diverse academic backgrounds will learn how to measure and understand single neurons--long considered the fundamental unit of computation within the nervous system. In so doing they will be exposed not only to ideas but also techniques. They will learn together under the mentorship of Neurosciences Program faculty, getting hands on training on how to directly monitor the electrophysiology of neurons using the 'patch clamp' methods to visualizing genetically encoded metrics for neural firing using fluorescence microscopes.

Setting the tone

Many current students in the program cite the SIN bootcamp as a formative experience that set the tone for the rest of graduate school. It exposes the incoming class to other members of the program, who serve as teaching assistants (TAs), and the rigorous yet relaxed nature that makes our faculty unique and exceptional. The two week period also serves as a time for the incoming class to bond with one another and come together to learn, deliver presentations, and compete against other program members in a friendly game of softball. Most importantly, though, it allows the incoming cohort to get to know their current classmates and future colleagues. It forms for them a core group of friends with whom they can share ideas, have fun with, and rely on during the journey through graduate school.

Welcome, First Years!