I am still in disbelief that this semester is coming to an end, along with my research project that I have been working on for the past 2 years now. With the support of the CURF Fellowship, I was able to successfully defend my Bachelor of Philosophy honors thesis to my committee members last week….
Repeated Reflections Refining Research: Risk, Exploration, & Discovery
The CURF has exposed me to a new side of research where risk tolerance is high, collaborators are valuable, math is everywhere, and time is warped. I have taken classes on how to do research, but nothing prepares you better for research than doing it yourself. Several people have asked me countless times this semester,…
My Thoughts on CURF
Before I started the CURF I thought that research was about getting things done fast. I would try to get my code to work, but I didn’t give it much thought. I didn’t think about the design of my system, or any of my system’s goals. Before the CURF, my approach was “I have an idea, so let’s get it working as fast…
A Reflection On My CURF Experience
I believe my understanding of research over the course of this semester progressed from an initial belief that every experiment would be straight forward with few disruptions, to a more mature realization that research projects often take time and patience in order to obtain the results desired. I believe most people being research with…
Concluding remarks on using herbarium records to track plant population declines in Western Pennsylvania.
As the semester comes to an end, I have reflected on my time as a CURF recipient and the research process collectively. I began my project with the belief that research plans are concrete and have little alteration. However, as time progressed throughout the semester it became apparent that research is a dynamic process that requires constant adaptation. With these…
Final Thoughts on Researching Roman Women’s Ritualistic Role in the Secular Games of 17 B.C.E.
At the beginning of conducting this research, I thought I had an idea of what I would find as I went through various articles and primary sources. Yet, many surprising revelations still ended up coming into my research, which further influenced my understanding of how important the process of doing research is. For example, in…
College Advice From an Outgoing Senior
As my fourth year at Pitt comes to a close, I continue to notice new things about campus. One degree’s duration was not enough to fully unfold the city. Although I worry I will leave still a virtual stranger, I know that’s not the case given the community I found while here. Looking back, I…
Find your home away from home
A bunch of blogs on the internet explain the factors people need to consider while choosing a university to attend. A lot of these are great, but I think a lot of them don’t give great advice to someone who can’t attend a campus tour and get a feel of the school. I was in…
Selecting a college: follow your heart (especially if it leads you to Pitt)
The college application process was one of the most stressful experiences I’ve been through, without question. All of the promotional material I received in the mail was overwhelming, and I obsessively pored over lists like “Top colleges for neuroscience” and “Best cities to attend college in.” With the help of my parents and older sibling,…
Commit to Pitt & a Journey of Growth
As a sophomore in college, it sometimes feels odd to give advice to prospective and new students. Truthfully, most days I feel as if I’m still in your shoes: standing at the edge of what most people consider to be a massive choice. That’s not to say that these past two years of college have…