Archives for the Month of February 2008 on Christina Cajigas's Online Journal
A Head Start
I have started working in Dr. Cullis’ lab in Millis. Right now I am doing gel runs to determine the amount of DNA concentration in each sample. It is tedious lab work but it is necessary in order to determine what concentration is in the samples prepared previously before I entered the lab. I have done a couple gels so that is basically it. I know I will be able to start a final project soon, and work on it during the summer, that will allow me to catch up.
It is weird being in this position having to come up with my final project so early in the year, but this will allow me to get done quicker as well as let me work in the summer to lighten my load next year. Most biology majors I have spoken to haven’t even really considered their final projects. I guess Noha and I will be more than prepared now!Hopefully the project I undertake will be interesting and open for my interpretation.
Passion for Research
In class this week, one of our guest speakers was Dr. McCall, who talked about his work studying sediments and how biological organisms and their feces affect sediments in Lake Erie. What I really like about McCall’s research is how there was a mix of biology and geology, he studied an area where both come into play into the equation. Because his research involved biology I found it interesting and easier to understand.
I would love to mimic this in my own research. If not now, then definitely in the future. I have a passion for Biology yes, but I also find Sociology equally important with what I want to do with my future career. It would be nice to merge the two and find a way to study how group interactions can effect biology.
For the last sages class I took which was a class on studying Human Attention, I found a way to merge the subject of attention with my love for sociology. I wrote my final research paper on how Human attention is affected by an individual’s cultural background and upbringing. In this paper I talked about how individuals from Eastern countries focus attention very differently than those from Western countries. This is due to the fact that cultural morals and values differ based on a society’s standards. I was really happy to be able to put my love for sociology into my research of attention because it made me really invested in the topic and paper allowing me to do a really good paper.
I hope to merge my interest in Biology and Sociology in my future endeavors. I think the more you are interested in a subject the better you will do in working with it. It is really important that when doing research, you never limit yourself to whatever you can find, but that you work to find what interests you the most. I hope for my final project I can do just that. I would love to have a passion for what I am studying.
Senior Project Information
So I finally spoke to the Biology Authority on what I would need to do to complete my senior SAGES project in Biology. Dr. Drushel informed me of the different options for a final project. Luckily I had Noha with me to help me remember all the details.
The first option is to find a lab and work on a project independently were you can solve a problem, present it, and work on a poster or paper. This would fall under Biology 388 course.
The second option is to take a SAGES Keystone course that has the final project requirements built into the course.
The third option is for those who are in a research lab outside of school. To complete a project here, one must find a Biology faculty member to sponsor their project and have a lab boss at the place they are working to supervise a presentation and project.
The last option is an almost last resort where a student can do research on a certain area of study or topic and write a thirty page report or monogram on the topic. This option is completely independent and the student must meet periodically with their advisor as the project is completed to try and keep on a writing schedule.
So yeah picking one of these should be very interesting. I am leaning towards option one since I recently got into a lab...hopefully it all works out.
Oh and a random option would be doing my SAGES final project in Sociology, since it is my other major. According to Dr. Drushel, as a Biology major I can do a project in either one.
Lots to think about.