Growing up, I have had quite a lot of experiences that shaped who I am and who I wanted to be. I have lived in Denmark, Sweden, as well as the US, attended both public and private schools, and met a lot of wonderful mentors. All of these have left an impact in some form on me, but the biggest of all is curiosity. The best teachers I had were always the ones who stayed curious; ones who weren’t afraid to both teach and be taught by their students. I have had amazing social studies teachers, math, core sciences, etc. They are all fascinating subjects. When I was in the first grade I wanted to be a biologist. 5th grade it was a doctor. But now that I have been through 13 years of elementary schooling, I am finally sure of what I want to study: space-time and its implication. Driven by the sometimes manic lectures of previous math teachers, TV shows, comic books, physics lectures, and a variety of other sources, I am beginning to make more and more clear what the true end goal is for me.
To begin this research, my main long term goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in astronomy and become a researcher and professor within that field. Starting here at OSU is the first big step toward this goal. While at my time here I am taking major classes within the fields of physics and astronomy. This will allow me to lay the groundwork for the Ph.D. while also networking with professors, giving access to references when applying to higher education. I also plan to begin undergraduate research while here at OSU, and seeking internships during the summers, increasing my practical knowledge, preparing me not only for higher education but also my dream job. I plan on taking the GRE in my 3rd year.
This however, is just a general plan for all 4 years. And what are years but composites of many minor components? We can look at this in blocks of months, all of which build up to a year, which build up to several years, leading to this end goal. This month I am looking to begin attending SPS (society of physics students) meetings, so that I can become part of a club in which I meet other people with similar goals to me and meet professors in a setting outside of the professional. I am also part of the rowing team, so that I can exhibit a desirable quality to graduate schools: teamwork.
By the end of the year, I aim to get to know one physics professor and one astronomy professor on a level beyond the professional, giving me access to potential references and research opportunities. I aim to do this by attending office hours to get to know these professors and develop a better understanding for what they work with. I also aim to attend Nationals with the OSU rowing team, allowing me to show my commitment to a cause and also giving me something else to do rather than just school work and slacking off. Finally, I aim to get an internship/job for the summer, so I am doing something productive during the summer.
My goals fall in line quite neatly with the “O” in GOALS. The O is all about research, and while I work toward my own personal goals I too will be all about research. I hope to carry on the tradition of O even after I graduate, as I find research to be one of the most potentially rewarding fields one can work in.