Blog post #3

I think the thing that I took most from the book Daring Greatly was all the opportunities for happiness and joy that I miss because I am stuck in my head running through everything that could go wrong. The specific examples of how we sometimes sabotage ourselves were helpful. Between escapism and constant worry, it's terrible to think of everything we miss. Foreboding joy was such a good term for it. There are so many beautiful things about being alive, and we miss them. The way Dr. Brown talks about vulnerability reminds me of how I think about being brave. I can't imagine that it's actually bravery unless you're scared. By isolating ourselves from the things that make us feel vulnerable, we miss making connection. I'm still working through what I think it means to be whole hearted, but I am well acquainted with the attempt for perfectionism and how it can be a little crippling. I think her suggestions are good: let yourself be seen, love with your whole heart, lean into gratitude and joy, believe that you're enough. I know that these are lifelong pursuits, but acknowledgement is the first step, so I'm grateful for the book and the way that it tied all these things together.  

Blog Post #1 Spring 2022

    I believe that I have a mostly growth mindset. When I reflect on a person's abilities, it has always made sense to me that they would become better by practicing things and that mistakes just point to places where there is room for improvement. That said, I do think that there are some people that are more talented at certain things than other people; though, I question how far talent can get you without the work. I just don't think there's any way to get there without the work. This has impacted my mindset by making me think that I am super woman (hahahah!). Just kidding, but I do think that I can do more than it sometimes seems like I can do especially if I can give myself the time to acclimate and incorporate the knowledge. I make mistakes (so many mistakes!), but I think that everyone of them is an opportunity to learn something about myself and adapt strategies to give myself a better chance at success in the future. I've had to withdraw from various courses because I overloaded myself, but because I'm confident in my ability to learn, I don't accept that I'm a failure because I couldn't finish the courses at that point in time. I just take them again when I get the opportunity. I've had issues in the past because I didn't always feel like I was doing my very best, but I'm coming to a place where I feel good about doing the best that I can in that moment instead of the very best of all time. That means that sometimes I get a "B" instead of an "A". I'm learning to be okay with that as long as I know that I understand what I'm supposed to be learning. Not accepting my best in the moment holds me back from continuing to progress more than not doing my best of all time is an indication or my worthiness to continue in my education. 

    I read the article about stereotype threat and women in math. My greatest surprises were how little time it takes to internalize messaging about stereotypes (for or against). I'd be interested on the longevity of the messaging and its effects. Is this something that I need to print out and stick on my wall and read before every test? In the event that I have no choice but to work within a space under hostile conditions, is reaffirming the messaging enough to circumvent the effects of the space? I'm not surprised by the stereotype. I'm very surprised and disappointed the the president of Harvard would perpetuate it. Or maybe not. Everyone sticks their foot in their mouths sometimes. I wonder if he had someone proofread his speech and if they were totally okay with it. Maybe I'm missing the context though and should look up his speech. Anyway, I'm grateful for the study and that someone cared about the issue and went out to explore and gather data to better understand it. 

Good, C., Aronson, J., & Harder, J. A. (2008). Problems in the pipeline: Stereotype threat and women's achievement in high-level math courses. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2007.10.004

Job skills I learned at school

 Tons!!!

I've worked in groups more than I ever thought possible. I didn't think that I would enjoy group work, but I really do! It's amazing how much more you can get done with a group. Some of my most impressive work was always group work because I didn't do it by myself. I find that I'm also much more motivated to finish projects in a timely manner when working in a group. I didn't really think too much about it until I recently had a choice to work on a project with a group or independently. In the future, I would definitely encourage students given the same to choose to work on the project in a group. It does take more work to communicate and coordinate, but especially with recent advances in technology, it's not actually that hard, and you have the opportunity to be so much more productive. 

Really if you delegate specific pieces to different members of the group, you end up being responsible for managing your own part. Then it's just making sure that you're all on the same page and bringing it together cohesively.

So there you go! Teamwork, communication, online platforms for teamwork, coordinating and managing projects. Obviously there's even more than that, but I never imagined that I would be the kind of student to choose a group project over an independent project, so that's something that really sticks with me about this semester.

How I want to use my degree

I imagine that human reasoning is just as complicated as Earth systems models. There's the influence of time and experience, and there's biochemistry. I'm betting that each of these factors is both additive as well as multiplicative depending on the circumstances. I'm not saying this to be difficult but to explain my difficulty. Honestly, when asked how I want to use my degree, I cannot say, "This is the very specific job that I want in this very specific career path with these very specific tasks and responsibilities." I have been alive long enough to know that I am rearranging my choices frequently, as needed. Usually, that is for the better. 

So when I am asked how I want to use my degree... I want to represent science with integrity. I want to contribute to the use of the best available scientific knowledge to better manage the health of the planet and humans. I'd love to contribute to scientific knowledge, but I'd be happy to be able to use the knowledge and make it understandable to others. 

Explaining why seems just as complicated, but for me, it just seems like a good way to take care of people. It's only after studying environmental science for a while that I have a greater appreciation for the dramatic changes that humans are causing the Earth. Before this understanding, I had a different understanding that we were making ourselves sick, and I wanted to understand how we were doing that and how I could help.

Desired online presence

 If I'm being honest, I don't really desire a greater online presence particularly as it relates to social media. I appreciate social media as an additional tool to maintain the relationships that I've already established, but it's a poor substitute for in person interactions. I do have concerns about taking control of how I am presented online. I've begun to have a greater appreciation for productivity software like Slack. In the last year, I've used Discord for classes quite a bit, and it's been a lifesaver. After having the opportunity to use Slack more, I'm excited for it's potential for group collaboration on projects. 

I will continue to utilize social media to explore opportunities in my field and keep up with my peers. In addition, I'm also adding productivity software such as Slack and Discord.

Online presence

 I find that I enjoy social media less and less. At first, I thought it was an excellent way to keep up with family in other states, so I maintained a Facebook account particularly after my son was born. Now, I don't think that I've actually checked it in over 6 months. 

I have a linked in account. I go on that one at least once a month, but I don't update it that often. I enjoy seeing my peers and cohorts succeeding there, and it's a great way to keep in touch with them that's a bit more focused. 

If I'm being honest, the most enjoyment that I get from social media revolves around my education and future career. I attended a great science meeting last semester that I found on LinkedIn. It had some Amazing GIS projects. I also really enjoy professional groups on social media. I've joined some groups for women in GIS. I love hearing their different experiences depending on their positions and experience. It's been very helpful.

Goals

 This year has been difficult. My goals at this point are to do better every semester until I graduate. I'm hoping to focus on finding a position in my field in a year or two. My family could really use the income, and I could really use the experience. I'm hoping the experience will help me sort what I like to focus on next. I'm going to continue to work on my resume and see what opportunities I can find.

I suppose that the societal challenge that matters to me most right now is the toxicity in public discourse. I believe that the issue will be continue to be important forever. I think it can best be addressed by continually trying to do the best that we can to have better arguments where we seek to explore instead of tear each other down. I hope in the future that it becomes part of us to always speak as kindly as possible to one another. I'm very passionate about a number of societal issues though. Mass incarceration has been bothering me for some years now. There are so many things.

I'm so excited to be the first person in my family to graduate college. I hope that it might give the rest of my family to the confidence to know that it's an attainable and worthwhile goal. I feel fortunate all the time to have found my way to where I am. This year has been difficult, but I made it through, and I think it will get easier going forward. Everything is temporary.