Year in Review

Global Awareness:

To develop my global awareness, I have taken Comparative Studies 2103H. In this class, we have talked about the societal and cultural issues including (but not limited to) gender, race, weight, and disability. Due to this class, my understanding of the Holocaust and Native American reservations was widened; we also got to see these issues directly through the minds of the victims. To further expand my global awareness, I plan to take a geography class as well as a few philosophy classes and a history class that focus on certain time periods to gain a deeper insight.

Research Experiences:

This semester, I am taking Physics 3700, a lab course. In it, we perform a lab every two weeks that involves multiple physical and virtual experiments. Each experiment focuses on teaching us the correct way to deal with probabilistic data, including how to calculate the standard deviation, generate normalized data with error bars, how to calculate best fit parameters, and how to calculate chi-squared. By the end of each lab, a full lab report is due detailing the methodology, goals, results, and conclusions. In the autumn semester of 2016, I joined Professor Amy Connolly’s research group. The group works on neutrino detection using the Askaryan effect in Antarctica. During this time, I have learned how to solder components onto boards, how to troubleshoot component, and recently I have been learning python and using it to write software for controlling a component that will be part of the ARA experiment. Also, I have given a 10-minute presentation on the above-ice components in the ARA project to the group.

Course Selection:

My honors contract shows a commitment to academic enrichment in many ways. First, I have chosen multiple majors and minors to challenge myself and absorb as much as I can in my time at OSU about a variety of topics. I would regard every class I have taken so far to be challenging, and each has taught me things I would not have dreamed of otherwise. My planned curriculum including the majors and minors were chosen mostly due to a passion in the fields. I have decided to pursue astrophysics since the seventh grade, and I believe the double major here at OSU is an expansive, but reasonable program to take in as much relevant knowledge in our four years as possible. I have always been skilled in math, and the prospect of only taking the three math classes I would need to double major seemed too small to me. Instead of just taking another few classes I found interesting, I decided that designing a minor around it would be a better and more well-rounded choice. As far as the philosophy minor, the introductory course I took freshman year satisfied me immensely, and I enjoy the prospect of more classes to expand my knowledge and experiences in thinking. The General Education courses I have chosen are broad, but challenging. I wanted a taste of what other paths college has to offer as well as have an excuse to take classes in fields that I once considered studying as a major or minor.

Activites:

I have joined Sigma Phi Sigma (the Physics club) and the presentations given by professors have helped me greatly in better understanding the job opportunities as well as where the cutting edge of today’s research is. The research I am doing in Dr. Connolly’s group has presented me some chances to lead on fixing an issue, and I have thoroughly enjoyed solving the tasks.

Service-Oriented Activities:

I served as a tutor for the autumn semester of 2016 for the Math Department for Math 2415 Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations. During my time, any student of any class period could meet at the prescribed time and get help. I could help a few dozen students, many of whom came weekly. I plan to be more involved in other service activities the coming semesters, as I have been almost entirely busy from the major class coursework so far.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness:

Thanks to the many opportunities here at OSU, I can shape my path to provide the best exposure to the world while pursuing my interests. Academically, I plan to take philosophy courses to understand the predominant motives and beliefs that have motivated and captured the essence of people throughout time. I am also taking anthropology to achieve the same goal, but by examining physical remnants and observations. I plan to experience life outside this country sometime in the next few years, but I would like to do it in an internship/research position, and not a study abroad program. I am especially interested in Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, and anywhere else where world-class physics research occurs. I hope to learn not only the diversity in the general culture of another country, but the diversity of the culture in physicists of another place. Finally, this might sound like a small change, but I have been trying to keep as much of an open mind as possible in college. Whether it be not ignoring the activists on the oval or something more serious, every opinion deserves a chance to be heard.

Original Inquiry:

Since a career in physics requires original inquiry, it would be hypocritical of me to deem it unnecessary for me! The first and most clear method I will conduct original inquiry is research. I plan to complete as much research in my field as I can. Not only will this increase my my overall knowledge in physics and the real research process, it will also help me more clearly see my future and focus my interest. I have still not fully committed on the field of physics that grabs my attention the most because almost all of them do to some degree. To compliment my research, I plan to take any classes I deem particularly interesting in physics or astronomy, be it anything from stellar formation to quantum physics.

Academic Enrichment:

I have used my academic plan to create a foundation for the classes I desire to take in college, and develop the end goal for me in college. I have chosen to earn a double major and two minors. Majoring in Astronomy and Physics will help me create a broad base of knowledge for my future, and allows for a great deal of flexibility in the careers of my interest. After originally reviewing the requirements for these two majors, I realized that I have more room than expected. So I thought up of the next area of study that really interests me, and philosophy came up in my mind. After reviewing the requirements for philosophy with the philosophy advisor, I happily realized that I still have some room! The next topic that intrigued me is math, so I talked to the major advisor for math as well and added it into my academic plan. With this spread of subjects, I don’t feel like I am fulfilling requirements, but feeding my interests. I am most interested in taking Anthropology, because I know so little about it currently and it seems like a very important part of gaining knowledge. How can we most effectively gain information about the world if we don’t even bother learning from our ancestors? I am also pursuing academic enrichment outside of the classroom by being a part of both the Astronomy Society and the Society of Physics Students / Sigma Pi Sigma clubs and regularly attending all of their lecture, planetarium, socal, or observatory events.

Leadership Development:

As mentioned earlier, I plan to engage in internships and research pertinent to my field, as well as continuing to be in the clubs I am in. Any opportunities that arise in these which allow me to contribute in a more meaningful way, including a leadership role, I will take. Also, I participate in a small study group for physics I created, and plan to continue it and create others in the future. To be competitive and make an impact, exploring and pursuing many other forms of learning outside of the classroom  is crucial. I believe it to be more important than most people give credit, especially if we actively contribute to the process.

Service Engagement:

In my short time in college, I have yet to find a form of service other than giving blood, but I certainly plan to find some program or some events for service. Contributing to the general betterment of society is it’s own reward. The goal of college is to expand our minds and to prepare us for the future, but often it actually keeps us busy and enclosed from the world. To keep this from occurring, we need activities that not only direct our minds away from our campus, but also open them to the experiences of others. Finally, having an outside perspective will help us see where we are going and motivate us to continue.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]