One Down, Three to Go

With one week of classes left to be followed by finals, it seems fitting to reflect on the semester and the topics covered.

Why is this important to agriculture? To be honest, there is not a direct connection between this reflection and agriculture except that it reinforces the need to further educate yourself – whether that be continuing education through institutions or performing it yourself.

Reflection of Research Methods

Research Method’s purpose was to introduce the students to the field of true research (not just using google to find answers).

Our professor is active in the field of extension, and in this field is the outreach through use of technology and physical means.

This blog is a result of this class, as well as creating a how-to YouTube video. The latter was a complete flop for me, given the amateur editing skills and loud background noises. I like to think this blog has been somewhat successful!

Other take-away from this class is learning about the ways to set up research trials.

Reflection of Statistics for Research

Ah, statistics. Our professor for this particular class did a phenomenal job in teaching this class.

In this class, we learned how to process our data from our research. In reflection, I probably should have taken better notes but I have learned nonetheless.

Reflection of Environmental Issues and Sustainability

In this course, we learned about what is causing the environmental degradation and what we can do to become more sustainable.

For instance, there are three principles of sustainability. They are solar energy, chemical cycling, and biodiversity. These three principles is what creates a sustainable system because it is how nature works, beautifully. If humanity can mimic these principles, we have a chance of becoming sustainable.

Solar energy would be harnessing the sun’s power – solar panels is a direct form, while hydrology and wind energy are some indirect forms.

Chemical cycling is how nature reuses elements, essentially. So the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, etc…

Biodiversity is almost self-explanatory. If we lose biodiversity, we lose more than just different species of organisms – we lose hope for our future. Biodiversity is essential because it creates less stress for ecosystems. This can dilute diseases, increase ecosystem resilience, and so many other things. I can dedicate a biodiversity post entirely if that would be of interest.

Reflection of Ecosystem Science and Management

This has been my favorite class, hands down. It has been the inspiration for many of my blog posts, and has been a turning point in my career and life.

This course told about problems of ecosystems and some suggestions for how to fix it. We can restore ecosystems, create multifunctional landscapes, and enhance biodiversity.

We have to do a presentation in this class on a topic related to ecosystems. The topic I chose was Disease and Climate Change – does that surprise anyone? However, through this presentation research, I have learned vastly more than I expected. Once I have perfected the content, that will be a post.

That was the whole purpose of this course, connecting what you are doing to the ecosystem. I am studying a specific disease on a specific plant, but in reality, it is so much more than that. By studying a specific disease, you learn how it has changed and adapted to the environment, and by learning those principles it then teaches you about the other diseases.

Conclusion

This semester has been a whirlwind, a learning curve, and such a wonderful experience. There are many times where I have wondered if I made the right choice to continue to graduate school, whether or not I am making the right career choice, and if I will ever make a difference.

The people in my life have assured me time and time again that if it is something I truly enjoy, it is worth doing. The professors I have had this semester have further solidified that I can make a difference – it won’t happen over night or even possibly in my life time, but it doesn’t mean I can’t influence others or begin something wonderful.

I advocate for further education, I advocate for change.