Book and Reflection
As part of your SSP, you can look forward to multiple mandatory reflections. Here are mine!
The Coddling of the American Mind
By Jonathan Haidt
I chose to read The Coddling of the American Mind because I had previously enjoyed The Anxious Generation and was interested in learning more about how modern culture and technology affect young people. The book explores how certain ideas about safety and discomfort have shaped students and schools in recent years. One reason I found the book engaging was because the authors combined psychology with real-world examples to explain why resilience and open discussion are important.
The author, Jonathan Haidt, is a social psychologist and professor known for studying morality and the challenges facing younger generations. Across both books, I noticed a common theme of how social environments shape the way people think and respond to challenges.
My Midpoint Reflection
So, here we are. It’s Senior Spring, the sun is finally making an appearance in New England, and here I am, writing this reflection. To be honest, I’d say that most of us are just trying to navigate the transition, with more independence and freedom than we have previously had.
My Senior Spring Project has officially kicked off, and, to me it feels like an interesting hybrid of my old life at BB&N and whatever the future may entail. A lot of what I’m doing is stuff I was already doing, continuing with a few classes, finishing up leadership roles, and volunteering. But the context has shifted. BB&N is usually a place where everything is go go go. You’re there all day, you head to sports, you crawl home, you do homework until your eyes bleed, and you repeat it until you graduate (maybe an exaggeration but whatever). Having the time to actually look back and reflect, therefore, is actually very nice. I’ve been going on long walks, which is a sentence I haven’t said in the last four years, and also just generally processing the fact that the last four years have gone by.
That’s not to say I’ve checked out. I’m still helping select the next generation of leaders for my leadership roles, which has been surprisingly fun. Interviewing potential peer counselors and peer tutoring candidates feels like a nice way to get some closure. I even sent a "words of wisdom" email to the new debate captains. When I’m not doing that, I’m participating in the real highlight of the Spring, me and my friends' competitive spike ball league. My friends and I have a full-on league going with tracked statistics. We plan on creating a punishment for the loser, advanced metrics, individual rankings, etc etc. Although my assigned partner for the league is Mr. Chapman, we have still been able to fire our way to a winning record overall. I have hope we can clinch the title come graduation.
In terms of "insurmountable problems," I can report there are none. My project is going well. If I were to evaluate my planning process in retrospect, I’d say I probably should have branched out even more. Having my volunteering shifts from 7:00 to 8:00 every night is a little brutal, but that's probably not insurmountable. I will say that volunteering is very fun though, I do enjoy meeting with the kids every night and I have some very smart ones in my class. I also probably would have dropped a few more classes, but that’s more a result of how my year was structured than a planning failure (I was in AP classes where I could use scores, etc etc).
However, the absolute greatest pleasure of this experience so far has been the lab. I’ve never worked in a professional lab before, and it’s basically an AP Biology lab but significantly better because you aren’t rushing to finish everything before class ends. Working at the Barouch Lab is a completely new world. The technology is bleeding edge, and it’s pretty insane to see what they’re doing with viral vectors and assays and all of the rest of it. Thinking about virology and the role this specific lab played in the COVID response is genuinely pretty awesome.
The environment is relaxed, which I appreciate. Funding is a constant struggle for Dr. Barouch, especially given the current political climate and the Trump administration's stance on science funding, but it’s still awesome to be there. It’s helping me figure out what I want to do in STEM, whether that’s academia, med school, or industry. Plus, biking to the lab along the Charles River is awesome, even though I did get snowed on one day. Seeing the trees in full bloom was pretty enjoyable.
Regarding the required reading, I have not started my book yet. I know what it is, it’s The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt. I’ve heard great things and I like the author, but I’ve been a little preoccupied with the minor task of choosing where I want to go to college next year. I’ll get it from the library as soon as I have a spare second.
As for our class meetings, since we’re all going to be there anyway, we should just go outside. Let’s have a grade-wide spike ball tournament or a massive kickball game (that is my pitch at least). A teachers vs. seniors kickball game would be legendary. It’s our last few weeks, we might as well spend them doing something that doesn't involve sitting in a circle and doing more reflecting than we need to
Overall, I’m pretty satisfied. Between the lab, tutoring every night, and the high-stakes spike ball statistics, I’m staying busy enough to feel productive. BB&N has been high-stress for four years, so having this time to just be is just pretty cool.
Final Reflection
As I prepared my portfolio and retraced my steps throughout SSP, I realized how many different parts of the experience connected together. From my lab internship to teaching, rowing, and academics, I saw how each activity reflected my interests. Compiling everything helped me recognize how much I learned about time management and balancing multiple commitments. I plan to use these skills in the future, especially in college, where I will need to manage my own schedule and stay organized.
One of my favorite parts of SSP was spending time with my friends and playing spikeball during breaks from work. Those moments made the experience more enjoyable and reminded me of the importance of balance, especially during busy and stressful periods. If I could do SSP over again, I would probably commit to fewer hours because the workload in some of my classes became overwhelming at times. At the same time, the challenge taught me resilience and showed me what it feels like to manage a demanding schedule.
For younger students preparing for SSP, my advice would be to think outside the box and choose experiences that genuinely connect to their interests and future goals. SSP is a great opportunity to explore potential career paths, try new things, and step outside your comfort zone. My lab internship especially helped me think more seriously about whether I want to pursue STEM in the future, and it gave me hands-on experience that I could never have gotten in a classroom alone.
II also plan to continue pursuing STEM after Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, whether through research opportunities, advanced coursework, or future internships. At the same time, I hope to continue hobbies and activities like rowing and spikeball because they provide balance and allow me to stay connected with teammates and friends.
Reading The Coddling of the American Mind also connected meaningfully to my SSP experience. Since I previously enjoyed The Anxious Generation, I was interested in learning more about how younger generations are shaped by technology, education, and modern social environments. Through SSP, I experienced the importance of stepping outside my comfort zone, balancing stress, and learning through real-world challenges rather than avoiding them. The book helped me reflect on how growth often comes from discomfort and how meaningful experiences can shape me.