Ryan Willis

ENVR 280 Independent Study

Transfer Plan

My first choice of a transfer location would be The Geek Group National Science Center,
the largest nonprofit makerspace in the world, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and
which has several other chapters around the U.S., and members all around the globe. After
graduating from Feather River College, I intend to spend about a year here in Quincy with a job,
building up a reasonable monetary buffer for my trip out to Michigan as well as possibly
procuring a vehicle. Once I'm there, I plan to volunteer, and hopefully become an intern there.
Internships are generally unpaid at first, but I would eventually like to become a staff member.
Since internships are unpaid, I intend to get a job elsewhere in Michigan to support myself longterm. The Geek Group is not (yet) an accredited degree-granting institution, but I have heard
mention of talks with the Michigan Board of Education to allow such a thing in the not-so-distant
future. The standard membership fee is $40/month, and that includes access to all major labs and
facilities, as well as almost all the tools and equipment. The only things that cost more are the
large CNC machine tools since they're very expensive and have a huge power bill, the 3-D
printers since they have consumables that need replacing, and the vehicle hoist since for legal
reasons they pretty much have to have someone babysit you the whole time you're using it. As a
nonprofit with limited resources, there are no scholarships, but you don't really need one for
$40/month. As an intern, I hope to make use of The Geek Group's low-cost staff housing. They
purchase old, run-down townhouses and renovate them into low-cost living accommodations.

I've looked into the city of Grand Rapids, and it seems to be one of Michigan's more
progressive and vibrant locales, unlike Detroit or Flint. It's twice as large as Chico, the city I'm
most familiar with, and it offers a wide range of cultural and recreational opportunities.
The Program of The Geek Group is not a predetermined set of options as it would be at a
college or trade school, but rather it continuously evolves as a creative environment that depends
on the creative interests and skills of its current members. The director and certain key personnel
are constantly on the lookout for sources of funding and equipment, and have been particularly
successful at attracting large-scale partnerships and sponsorships of late. As a member of The
Geek Group I would undoubtedly learn more about entrepreneurship.
My coursework at FRC, especially in the sciences and math, have helped prepare me for
the Geek Group's environment. However, my own lifelong hobby of tinkering and
experimentation has also taught me volumes that will come in very useful in this environment.
The Geek Group won't be as interested in my transcript as they will be in my demonstrable skills
and interests.
As for my long term educational goals, I will continue to weigh my options. On the one
hand, I strongly prefer hands-on educational experiences over traditional classroom-based lecture
courses. However, I recognize that some categories of knowledge I may need have been
efficiently packaged as classroom-based and online courses, and I will indulge in them as
needed. The Geek Group will provide the most comprehensive education in my interest areas
that I have discovered to date. During my year of working in Quincy, I will follow trends closely.
I can imagine possibly taking some additional math and science courses here at FRC, or
commuting to Chico or some other college for additional coursework. During that year of
exploration, I may discover or invent other educational options for myself. Meanwhile, the

engineering lab in my garage, along with the endless supply of knowledge and ideas from the
Internet, will continue to be my most significant educational environment.

My second choice would be to pursue a BS at Chico State, probably in the field of mechanical,
electronic or mechatronic engineering. I would still probably take a year off as a bit of a break,
and to build up a bit of a monetary buffer for the purposes of lodging and the like while I get
settled down there, since the commute from Quincy to Chico is a bit much. Chico State also has
an excellent environmental program, where I would be able to further deepen my knowledge in
that field. The mechatronics program holds special appeal for me because it combines several
fields that I find interesting, namely mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic
engineering and a smattering of computer science as well to round it out, as well as significant
opportunities for hands-on experience. The course requirement includes a minimum math level
of calculus, so I would either need to take that there first or possibly take it here at FRC during
my work year. The complete BS in mechatronics is 128 units, with 101 of those being major
units. It's definitely a serious undertaking. As for transferring units, I'm fairly sure that my
computer science, general welding, math and maybe the astronomy class will transfer.
Chico State has a progressive system of fees that adjusts with the unit load undertaken for
the semester in question, and the level of instruction sought, be it undergrad, credential or
graduate-level, with the grad-level tuition fee coming in at $4,134 per semester. Chico State does
have a very comprehensive financial aid and scholarship program, and the undergraduate section
accepts FAFSA applications among others. The 2015-16 scholarship application window closed
on February 15, so I wouldn't be able to apply for anything until next year anyway, which results
in yet another reason to stick around here for a year after graduating from FRC.

Chico is a very diverse and accommodating city, with wide-ranging cultural and natural
amenities such as Bidwell Park, an awesome place to hike and enjoy the phenomenal
biodiversity of the area thanks to its location.
Lodging costs in Chico are fairly reasonable if maybe a little steep, ranging from under
$500 on the very low end to well over $1500 at some of the really upscale offerings. The easy
access to most areas by foot reduces the need to depend on a vehicle for transport, which would
help to reduce living costs.