Already within this community I have learned about the many different ways a person can go about collecting information. Adding multiple perspectives can reveal different ways that a person can go about solving a problem or making new discoveries. I am very interested in making my current and potential future work practical and applicable to solve problems, something that additional perspectives and fields could make possible.
Research is pointless without being able to share the knowledge that you gain. However, it takes practice in order to become more effective at informing others in a way that they are able to figure it out. Starting by learning to communicate with other students that have an understanding of research in their own field can be practice at this difficult task. Not only do I want my work to have practical applications, I also want it to be something that everyone can learn from, and the only way to accomplish that is through effective communication.
As a way to begin this task of learning from other students across disciplines, we have been placed into cohorts. Within my cohort there is a mix of topics that students are researching. Linh and Chris are both combining social factors and health sciences. Ryan, Aboli, and Hunsi are all working on projects that involve brain functions. Izza is exploring the impact of ADHD on mother-infant interactions and Grace is studying tissue engineered free flaps. Finally, Priyanka will research the Trps1 gene and its effect on dental tissues. Many of these projects are in the health science fields, but still explore different aspects and sometimes involve other social research questions as well.
One obstacle that I can foresee when it comes to working with other incredibly talented and motivated students is needing to battle with feelings of insecurity. Reading the rest of my cohort’s blog posts made me feel a little worried that I was falling behind or had one of the least interesting projects. Those feelings will not make me miss out on the opportunity to learn from others, since it is essential to have different perspectives in order to grow yourself, even if those perspectives can be intimidating.
In addition, another obstacle is that I feel that my project stands out from many of the others that seem much more human and health science centered. I am nervous and excited to take on the challenge of understanding my cohort’s projects.