Field Camp: A Rocking Way to End a Geology Degree
By Aleigha Dollens, University of Missouri- Kansas City
As a geology student at the end of her bachelor’s degree, I had heard the rumors and the great stories about field camp and all that it includes. It was an experience that I had looked forward to throughout my undergraduate degree. I felt nervous and excited as I packed my bags with my favorite field gear and prepared to jump into the back of the big red Illinois State University Geology vans at a roadside stop in northern Missouri. As I hopped into vans with 20 strangers, I began to rethink my decisions entirely. I nervously began to question if missing five weeks of the summer to spend it hiking and mapping Wyoming with a bunch of students was worth it. Nonetheless, there I was in the back of a van introducing myself to a group of strangers, headed down the interstate to Wyoming, and nervous enough to be shaking in my field boots.
The first week of ISU field camp might’ve been one of the most humbling weeks of my undergraduate degree. We were hiking the Bighorn Mountains with professors who seemed to know much more about the region than I thought possible. I was still learning the names of the new students that I shared 24 hours of my time with, and trying to decide if the outcrop I was staring at was a packstone or a wackestone (it depends on who you ask, by the way). I was working late into the evening on stratigraphic sections and waking up at 5:30AM to put my boots on and get back into the field in the morning. I felt like all the studying I spent on my degree could never have prepared me for something as extreme as this. I even had previous field experience under my belt, but still felt like I could not keep up with field camp. I thought that the first project was one of the most difficult projects that I have worked on, even after working on stratigraphic projects in the past. Despite my doubts, there was no way that I worked so hard for a degree that I love to give up because it was tough.
As time went on and we got into our next couple projects, my confidence in my abilities grew. I began to believe in my ability to adapt, work with strangers in the field, and put my trust in professors that I had never worked with before. The field partners that I would be assigned to would start the project as a stranger to me and would end the project as a close friend. I began to understand how contact mapping and geologic structures appeared in the field. I also learned that geology is a mess that can always do something that you don’t expect. I began to look forward to the 6am black coffee, the drive out to the field sites, and the long days spent with my field partners.
A couple projects, a 5-gallon bucket of samples, and a mountain sunburn later, I found myself nearing the end of the five weeks of field camp. Long field days were now followed by dinner and sitting around a campfire with 20 friends who all knew how to tell a geology joke. I still worked late into the evening on my projects, but instead of working alone in my room, I would be sitting at tables with others laughing about the adventures of the day. I felt at home with the strangers and projects that I felt so nervous about at the beginning of camp.
Just like that, I was packing my field clothes and my new rock collection into the back of the big red vans, ready to head back home. Leaving with memories and a new confidence in my ability to be a geoscientist. I had started the first week thinking that field camp might last forever, and then it was over. Which by the end of camp, was something that I was sad about. The other students at camp are some of the most kind and bright geoscientists that I have had the honor to work with and get to know. I am so excited to see where their careers head and to catch up with them at future GSA and AEG meetings.
While reflecting on the experience, I truly believe that ISU has one of the finest geology field camps in the country. Dr. David Malone is not only an incredible geologist, but a phenomenal mentor to the students that he teaches. It is an honor to be a part of the 800+ students that he has led in the field. This camp challenged me and taught me more than any textbook ever could. It taught me to believe in myself and my abilities to be a scientist. It also taught me to work with others and to keep going up the mountain, even when things get tough. I have never had an experience teach me so much in such little time, about myself and academically. Attending field camp was the final connection needed to fully understand the courses that I had taken in my undergraduate degree and helped me feel prepared to take on the professional geology world. I will forever be grateful to the other students and the professors that were in attendance. I also look forward to getting to tell the stories of field camp to geology students who have yet to experience camp. I hope that every student has a field experience that was as incredible as mine. ISU Field Camp 2024 will forever be one of my favorite memories. Thank you to everyone who has supported my journey, both in and out of the field. Up the mountain!
