After a summer of relative rest and a successful attempt at the GRE, it was time to get back to the grind! One important change for me was a new job. Rather than acting as a resident advisor, I was able to work as an assistant resident director. This change in gears was a unique challenge for me; though it entailed a lot less emotional energy, it made my schedule and administrative work more busy than ever. I had to adjust to being online and in a very different community than I had worked in before. At times, I missed the connection with my residents. However, this role helped me develop a lot of skills and abilities that I wouldn't have had before, and the community I built was incredibly valuable to me!
Socially-distant ARD picnic and screenshots of ARDs/Hall Council members in meetings!
One of my favorite courses of the fall quarter was Invertebrate Zoology! I never thought I would enjoy learning about worms so much, but Dr. Schivell was a fantastic instructor. I had already taken Bio 200 with her and enjoyed her teaching style, but this course let me get to know her a lot better. I truly admire her as a teacher and a scientist, and I was grateful to build a connection with her! Beyond that, I was excited to learn more about the immense diversity and unique features of invertebrates.
A presentation from Invertebrate Zoology
Another favorite was Natural History of the Puget Sound Region. This class was in no way what I thought it would be, and was at times incredibly challenging for me to focus on, but it forced me to go outside and spend time connecting with nature. This didn't seem like it should be important, but after spending so much time with my family, moving into a studio apartment with no interaction with other people left me reeling. I loved my classes and my work, but I needed this time to ground me and help me feel connected to the place I was living.
The longer I was in this class, the more I found myself identifying the scientific names of the plants I passed and greeting the birds I saw by species name. So I guess I'm a bird person now. Either way, I learned a huge amount in this course, and I felt like I could actually apply the things I was learning. This course was exactly what I needed.
The longer I was in this class, the more I found myself identifying the scientific names of the plants I passed and greeting the birds I saw by species name. So I guess I'm a bird person now. Either way, I learned a huge amount in this course, and I felt like I could actually apply the things I was learning. This course was exactly what I needed.
A few pictures and observations I made during my time in class. Use the button above to visit my natural history journal site!
Natural History of Puget Sound Region
So now I'm a bird person, I guess. Great.
Grad school application process
Crazy quarter - Plant ecophysiology
496
immunology
evo/devo
chorale
HLI