Opinionated guide to enjoying ratcamps - by Ariel Cheng

Wrote this for friends who are either (1) applying to ratcamp or (2) about to go to ratcamp. I only went to PAIR and SPARC so my advice might not be as applicable/relevant to other camps. The question I’m trying to answer is: what do I wish someone had told me before I went? The advice I needed to hear may not match up with the advice that you currently need to hear. And as always, you may need to reverse this advice. Read Andrew’s excellent post, ”Six Selections On Self-Defense”. This step is mandatory :) List out as specifically as possible (1) what you want to experience at camp and (2) what you want to learn/figure out at camp. Make a plan for how you’ll do those things. List out your biggest certainties and your biggest uncertainties (I’m referring to both beliefs/facts about the world you think are true and moral statements/ought-statements you deeply agree with). This is a good way of tracking how camp has changed you, figuring out things you want to deconfuse yourself about and

Wrote this for friends who are either (1) applying to ratcamp or (2) about to go to ratcamp. I only went to PAIR and SPARC so my advice might not be as applicable/relevant to other camps. The question I’m trying to answer is: what do I wish someone had told me before I went? The advice I needed to hear may not match up with the advice that you currently need to hear. And as always, you may need to reverse this advice. Read Andrew’s excellent post, ”Six Selections On Self-Defense”. This step is mandatory :) List out as specifically as possible (1) what you want to experience at camp and (2) wha