What Our Courses Are Like

Curious about what your experience on the R/V Garvin will be like?
​Explore resources below to learn more:

 

Experience Gallery
​​Explore images from recent courses

Testimonials
What our students say about their time with us

FAQs
Everything else you want to know about your time with Field School

FAQs

How often do your courses run?

We normally have courses running while school is out of session (winter break, spring break, summer). Take a look at the 2019 and 2020 calendars to see our upcoming course dates! 

Will I be safe with all these sharks around?

​You absolutely will. You will be training under staff who combined have more than 40 years of shark handling experience, and while you’ll be helping to collect data, you won’t be anywhere near a shark’s mouth. You’ll receive in-depth training on what to do and how to stay safe before we even leave the dock for the first time. You’ll also have the chance to see first-hand how little interest sharks have in hurting people. 

Do you give course credit?

We are not a university, and therefore cannot offer credit ourselves. However, our courses are taught by university professors, and if you want independent study credit through your own school, we are happy to provide you with whatever information or documentation you need to pursue it. 

I’m not studying biology, is this still for me?

​Absolutely. You don’t need to be planning a career in marine biology to take our courses. You just need to be interested in learning more about the subject. Many people who work in marine science and conservation don’t come from biology backgrounds. There are tons of different skillsets and backgrounds which are relevant to research and conservation! 

I’m not a college student anymore. Can I still do this?

​Yes! Absolutely! Some of our favorite students have been out of school for a while, or are mid-career professionals looking to make a change (oldest student we’ve ever had out for a week-long course was over 60, and awesome). You will not feel “too old” or like you don’t belong—everyone from staff to students are super welcoming. Please come out if you want to. No one is too old to pursue their dreams. 

I’m in high school, can I do this?

​I know you noticed we were super cool about age for everyone over eighteen, but now we have to be really uncool. Unless you’re eighteen, you can’t join our open enrollment courses. It’s an insurance thing. Sorry! We’d love to see you after your eighteenth birthday.

You can also talk to your school or educational organization about whether they want to organize a group trip with us.

​If you’re wondering what else you can do to help prepare for a career in marine science as a younger student, our Director Catherine wrote a blog post on that topic here.

How's the Food?

Pretty darn good if we don't say so ourselves! We aren’t professional chefs, but we’ve given a lot of thought to our menu and students tell us the food on board is great (we all think so too, and we eat it often). We serve a mix of recipes, from veggie coconut curry to barbeque chicken with mac and cheese to burrito bowls. We’ve also learned that everything tastes better after a day on the water. #boatmagic 

Can you handle my food allergy/is it cool I’m vegan?

Almost definitely. We’ve handled serious allergies before—we just need you to communicate clearly with us ahead of time about it so we can make sure we can keep you safe. And if you’re vegan/vegetarian/gluten free, we can also make that work (again, just let us know!). 

What are the accommodations like?

Garvin is a working research vessel, so no one comes out on her for luxurious accommodation. Students should expect to have a roommate and to live in close quarters with their classmates for the week. That said, her bunkrooms have been described as “comfortable” and “cozy” by some students (although “a little cramped” would also be fair). Most importantly, you won’t spend a ton of time in your bunk. You’ll be too busy working, learning, eating, or hanging out with your friends in Garvin’s larger public spaces.  

What about the bathrooms?

​Marine heads (toilets) are never as nice as land-based facilities, but we work hard to keep everything clean and running smoothly. Garvin has three bathrooms on board, and most nights during the course we return to dock to sleep, where students have access to the lovely dock bathrooms.