Our project focused on how loans could affect a student’s college experience. This project didn’t really change the way I thought about interdisciplinary research, if anything it matched my expectation as to what it would entail. I figured that I would know very little about some areas such as coding and mathematics and have a decent background in more humanities based aspects, such as the surveys. I also had to think with more flexibility than usual because the project really didn’t have anything to do with what I currently study but I pulled knowledge from courses I took in high school, like AP Psychology or when I had to issue surveys for my job. I also noticed that my education in philosophy helped me break down the question in order to stay organized and finish what needed to be done. By understanding what knowledge I lacked, it allowed me to let those who understand those topics provide what they know.
One of my biggest concerns was just making sure we fulfilled the requirements asked of us. By opening a shared google document we collaborated on the document and provided our own input as we jumped section to section. The way the cookie crumbled was that out of the six of us, two people had expertise in each section. Naturally we all started filling out the parts of the project that made sense to the person of that expertise. While doing this we would discuss the big picture of the project to make sure there was coherence and that we would gain the information we needed in order to answer the questions we had. By constantly making sure the big idea made sense across the board, it helped us figure out what the small pockets of expertise were doing. This allows everyone to shine and provide what they know to the highest degree possible.
My own research has been very heavily based in the humanities. Currently, I have been asking a lot of philosophical questions- more so than I anticipated when I set out to do my research. I have found that as I learn more about Alzheimer’s and care by the habilitation method, that I am realizing the social phobias we have of physical and mental aging, and ultimately death. It has led me to really question why we think this way. One quote I like a lot is “if you don’t like what people are saying, change the conversation.” That’s something I would like to do with my film, by laying out my own thoughts, hopefully the conversation that unfolds in my project can provide a new perspective and change the way we view aging.
In others projects, some are so much more invested in mathematics and the sciences than I am which seems like another planet sometimes. As someone who never made it past pre-calc and high school chemistry, to know that people are analyzing numbers and doing physics blows my mind. I feel like regardless of the type of research we are doing we all have our own questions that our work is helping answer. I can also imagine everyone working in their area of expertise understands their craft as well as I understand mine. Film has always been something that has come pretty naturally to me and I can imagine for others math or coding is something they have always understood understand really well. Although we may study different areas, our curiosity and motivations can be very similar. Even in our differences we can find something alike!