The topic of climate change is obviously very relevant today, so I was excited to take this class to learn more about the science behind it. The majority of the class focused on studying past climate change, with the final two weeks addressing modern day global warming using the information learned previously. It was refreshing to discuss climate change outside of a political or media setting, and I was surprised and intrigued by the complexity behind the determinants of the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike my previous honors courses, this class included non-honors students, most of them studying oceanography. The honors section of the class was asked to do one extra project to make the class "honors worthy," and the result is the research paper below.
This is my final research paper for the course, written with Parker Grosjean, a fellow honors student. Our assigned topic was the effect of climate change on coral reefs, to be written as scientific paper and synthesizing many sources. We wrote the intitial 10-page, single-spaced draft in just under 24 hours, two weeks before it was due, simply because we got so invested into the material and realized it was not hard to dedicate oneself so intensely to one assignment.
My Journey - A New Feeling
Writing the final paper for HONORS 221 was a step in my development as a student and a scholarly author. I found the academic world of writing overwhemingly interesting, and I stopped thinking of assignments like this paper as something I had to do, instead considering the opportunities they provide. The fact that Parker and I wrote the paper in 24 hours (and not because it was last minute!) is also a testament to how time management and dedication play a key role in success during academic life. I used the lessons from this to help me succeed in my other challenging but certainly intriguing projects in subsequent courses.
Next, a course that shifted not just my undergraduate career, but also my post-graduation plans: