 Students in ESG take their courses through a combination of small interactive classes, problem-solving sessions (often run by upperclass TAs),and discussion-oriented seminars.The program consists of 50 first-year students, 30 upperclass teaching assistants and associate advisors, 10 staff and faculty members, as well as ESG alumni and friends of the community.Most ESG students are first-year students interested in a more pro-active approach to their education, who concentrate on core MIT subjects in biology, chemistry, humanities, mathematics, and physics as an alternative to the large lecture classes taken by other classmates.