Freshman Year ePortfolio

This is my first attempt at an ePortfolio. It included my previous goals and my steps to get involved in research. I included this because it demonstrates how my passion for research has always been important to me. This also is a vulnerable document because it includes some of my worries and the writing is not as refined as it is today. It is interesting to see how far I have come in a few years so that is why it is included.

September

Assignment #1: Current Research Topics Reviewing Miami Research

Professor McMurray

(1) What is the research area?

He works with the Brain, Cognitive and Developmental Faculty.

(2) Briefly describe some of the topics/interests/themes you notice from the professor's website.

He works with decision making and drug abuse. He specializes in animal decision making especially with rats. He also works with the brain functions of the nervous system. He works with different types of drugs and how it impacts the adolescentes. Finally he works with the role of genetics in the brain and how all the issues above affect different stages of the human lifespan.

(3) Is there a topic you would like to know more about?

I would like to know more about how different drugs impact different people at different stages of life. Most of the information that I hear about are with young adults but that is not all the people in the world.

(4) Identify a research question that the researcher is addressing.

Does the lack of food impact decision making likelihood?

(5) Why is this question relevant - to the field of study?

There are a lot of people that either do not have access to food or refuse to use the access of food. People are unsure on how that is impacting their lives in the long run. Everyday choices have many reasons on why they are made and food makes an impact. This also can play a role in how important school food is to help the children make good choices.

(6) What are some approaches being used to conduct the work?

He works a lot with rats and other controlled experiments.

(7) What is the societal relevance of this research question/area of study?

There are alot of people who do not eat as much as they should for whatever reason. This would help the government understand the importance of school lunches, food banks and many other nonprofit food organizations.

Assignment #2: What Can I Do with My Major?

1.) What is your major, and why did you choose it?

● My major is psychology because I am interested in why and how

people make decisions in life.

2.) What about your major specifically interests you? Describe 2-3 specific ideas and topics.

● This major interests me because there is so much we don't know

about the pile of mush in our heads. I am personally interested in social

psychology of choice, how different things affect the brain (toxicology), and

animal behaviors.

3.) What types of societal issues could you tackle in this field?

○ With this field I could tackle the impact of societal pressures to make

certain choices. The idea of persecution of certain interests or people that is

people are unaware of. We also could tackle all of these issues that my fellow

peers listed.

4.) What are the grand challenges in your discipline? Find these using online resources

Some of the grand challenges within the field of psychology are mental illness,

understanding human and animal behavior, and addiction.

5.) Identify one challenge you would be interested in exploring [per individual]

● One challenge that I would be interested in exploring is human choices when

it comes to societal pressures (cognitive psychology).

Assignment #3: Journal Reflection

This first month of college has been interesting. Staying home and working with other people using the internet at times has been tricky. So far, I have been solid on getting assignments done and staying on top of deadlines. I have taken time out of my day to do optional lessons to stay on topic and get as much information I can get out of my professors. I also try to participate whether it be just showing up to class with the video on or asking questions. In this class, I am stepping out of my shell and communicating with my fellow groupmates. In small group settings I am better at communicating and trying to stay on task which is something I have learned because of this class.

Challenges have unsurprisingly outnumbered my successes for this first month of class. Two days of the week I have synchronous meetings almost directly after each other (this class being the third class on one of the days). It is hard to stay focused during these classes because my brain is exhausted. I have tried to combat this by taking a break in between to collect myself. Personally, I feel uncomfortable with using my video during class. It has been difficult to try to step out of my shell and do it while most people do not. I feel weird not knowing who is looking at me and all my facial reactions. The most difficult challenge is feeling isolated from other people. I am joining clubs and participating but it does not fill the hole of friends. Seeing people on social media at other colleges going to parties and rushing makes me frustrated. I have stopped going on social media because of this fact.

Surprisingly with all my challenges I have learned a lot. The most shocking is I know more than I give myself credit for. All my relatives tried to educate me about how college destroys everything you previously learned, and professors do not care about you. I have learned both facts have been disproven countless times. My favorite classes are the ones that take a simple idea and develop them further (like this class that teaches me how to grow with the scientific method). Professors are surprisingly kind with speaking with someone who does not have a fraction of their experience.

This class is not the only one on my schedule that is about research (I am also taking a Psychology class for majors). I have learned about how there is research everywhere no matter what you are interested in. The most important thing I have learned is people need help with research and are willing to let undergraduates help. Before this class I thought only geniuses could do research and I was not smart enough to do it. Anyone can do research and that is reassuring for me. I still have no idea what I want to research, and I know that is okay. If I only take one thing out of this class (which I hope does not happen) is that being flexible can lead you to somewhere that is just amazing as your original plan.

Finally, I want to talk about what I want to take out of this class. I want to be able to learn what is important to think about when conducting research and the different roles of people working in research. From all the guest speakers that have come in I have realized that I do not understand all the aspects of researching some topic. Most importantly, I want to narrow down what I want to research in the future. Right now, the whole world is my oyster and it is overwhelming. In the future, I do not have to stick to those ideas, but it will be a good start. In the end of the class I also want to have a plan on how I am going to continue with research. I know this semester is all about getting situated at college and next is going to be handling life on campus. Having a plan never hurt anybody.

Assignment #4: Student Interview Reflection

Today, Avery Walton and I had the opportunity to interview Abby Tietjen, a fellow psychology major and former FYRE student. It was interesting to see how someone else's path was different from mine. I enjoyed learning about how she took her FYRE project and continued it after the class. I liked how she changed the project while working with a faculty advisor. It shows the most important part of the research is being flexible. Abby continued the original research about stress eating. She recently has been focusing on Greek life and the impact on stress eating. This shows how research can evolve and turn into a new passion. I especially was inspired when she talked about her change in future goals. Her research has led her to consider different jobs instead of the classic therapist. This is interesting to me because I currently am thinking about graduate school. She has normalized the idea of doing something else with a psychology degree which is important for me.

I had a hard time hearing about how she got her mentor. Abby was recommended a lab and then she got her mentor from that. Since we are in the age of COVID, communicating with professors is difficult. I am not sure if any of my professors could pick me out of a crowd. One can only do so much with emails and web conferences. I do not see any professors helping me find a mentor. I see many hours spent emailing and trying to make a faint connection. I wonder what it would be like before this pandemic hit and the mystical experience of in-person office hours. Hopefully, I will not struggle with finding people to research with because of this setback at the beginning of my college experience.

Abby is the perfect example of how research can change someone's future. She came into school unsure what she was interested in and FYRE helped find projects she was interested in. Right now, I have no idea what I want to research. I am lucky to be in a group full of psychology majors who are interested in different things. I liked seeing someone who took FYRE and continued their research experience. This really showed how someone with a major that is not usually lab based can still do research. I never doubted this idea but meeting someone solidified that idea in my head. I am happy I took this class about research. I would have had no idea where to start and would have thought research is not for me. This meeting above everything else showed that any major can do research you are passionate about. It seems that there is a lot out there and somewhere has something that I will be interested in. I am nervous and apprehensive about finding faculty to work with. In the end, my research path is different from other peoples and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

September Reflection Questions

After reviewing your work from the first month of class, what are the biggest takeaways or learning outcomes?

Response:

The biggest takeaway from the first month is that there are opportunities for undergraduate students. You need to be willing to look for opportunities and step out of your comfort zone. There is something for everyone because of the wide variety of research happening at Miami. It is not an easy process to find the right fit but it is out there. The most important thing is that you are not alone in this journey.

What has changed since you completed these assignments? What has stayed the same? (Think about your learning, growth, research/career interests, goals, etc - how have you evolved over time?)

Response:

The biggest change since these assignments has been my drive to ask questions and get as much information as humanly possible. When I started this semester, I did not like doing Zoom calls ( I still do not) and I wanted to avoid them. I have been signing up for many faculty panels and getting a lot of information out of them. I feel a little more confident in communicating with faculty so this has aided my learning. Now, when I am confused, I get help and stay on top of things. Throughout the semester I have changed in what I want to do in the future. This is still uncertain but I am more confident that all my experiences will help me decide in the future.

October

Assignment #5: Interview with a Professor

My small group interviewed Professor McConnell in the Psychology Department. He focuses on the sense of self in regards to nature, family, and pets.

1) How does considering oneself a musician impact one's sense of self?

2) I was really nervous before this meeting. I remembered the idea of the knowledge gap and I was worried that it would control our conversation. The meeting started with seeing his dog Leo and I think that calmed all of our nerves. It helped me remember professors are people too. This helped the conversation flow smoothly. He talked about the role of research in his life and my biggest takeaway was about how he comes up with research questions. Creating research questions is something I have not mastered yet so it was beneficial. His advice was that you should have a balance between personal experience and what the literature needs. You need to find something you are passionate about because research is hard. It turns into "mesearch" if you only rely on personal experience. He also talked about getting involved because in the future you will not regret getting involved sooner. He showed how his past experiences shaped his research interests. Another big point is it is okay to try things that in the end are not your passion. Life is about learning what you like and what you do not is part of that path. I know in the future I will use this advice with my research projects.

Assignment #6: Beyond Miami Survey

Name *

Kat Pikus

Major(s), Minor(s), and Concentration(s) *

Psychology and thinking about a sociology minor or double major. I am not positive at this moment.

What are your current goals after graduation? Please be as specific as you would like. (Your answer will likely change during your time at Miami, and that's okay! Just share what you're thinking right now.) *

I am currently thinking about doing graduate school in my future. I was going to look at a psychology program that specializes in cognitive psychology and matches with my research interests. Right now it is looking like the University of Virginia is in the front runner. I was thinking about doing an internship with the government after graduating from Miami. I was looking at intelligence internships in the future. I am not sure exactly what type of jobs I want to go after graduation. I am open to anything that works with my passions.

How might FYRE prepare you to achieve these goals? *

FYRE has been helping me achieve these goals by showing me resources to help me out. I would have not been motivated to find these resources or feel comfortable to join a Zoom call workshop. FYRE has prepared me by teaching me the skills and reassuring the skills that I have could help me in the future. FYRE also can put my foot in the door for research. It is teaching me how to communicate with professors about that. This will help me learn if I really enjoy researching and if that is something I want to do.

How might undergraduate research in general prepare you to achieve these goals? *

In general, undergraduate research will teach me what I find interesting in the field of psychology. There are so many aspects about this field it is overwhelming. I have a rough idea what I find interesting but that could change. This also could change if I want to go to graduate school are not. If I am not interested in research graduate school will be really hard to get through.

What skills do you expect to learn through undergraduate research experiences? *

I plan to learn the things on the list that the presenter for Center for Career Exploration and Success talked about (problem solving, work ethic, working with teams, and so much more). I also plan on learning about dealing with monotony. Research is hard work and sometimes it is hard to be motivated. I am going to learn that you have to deal with it to finish. Research will also teach me about working with people with different levels of knowledge on the information. I will not walk in there with much knowledge, but I will work with people that this is their life's work. I will have to learn how to ask questions and understand people when they use big words.

In what ways might undergraduate research experiences be useful or relevant after you leave Miami? *

As the presenter said today, it teaches skills and experience that makes one stand out to employers. It also is a major talking point in case I do not want to do research. It teaches me importantly if I want to spend the rest of my life doing research. So opening or closing opportunities in my future. Research also helps me connect with the faculty better causing networking skills that would be beneficial. Importantly, undergraduate research is useful by giving me a chance to expand my knowledge on topics of my choosing. This could help with future jobs and passions.

Additional comments, thoughts, questions, or concerns?

I am concerned that I do not have a finite plan. After watching the presentation, I feel like I should be more prepared. In some of my other classes the professors talked about plans that should be changed. I am worried that if I do not have a plan I will miss opportunities.

Assignment #7: Journal Reflection

My biggest takeaway from the first half of this class is there are resources everywhere. I think I said that the first reflection, but it is impactful that people take time out to talk to us. I enjoy how they are so passionate and willing to help. In this class, I try to ask questions even when I think they are dumb or unimportant. This has helped me interact and really see that faculty, students, and alumni really care about helping. It helps make the phrase "love and honor" a lifestyle instead of a cheesy phrase. One thing I wish I could learn about is people struggling to find their passions. I know from all the presenters that it is okay, but I do not see examples. Everyone seems to have things figured out. It frustrates me because I feel like I should to as well. I want to hear about people who struggled and how they knew this is what they want to research. I feel that people only want to talk about their successes (which is important to do) and glazing over the hard work.

The most exciting thing I learned was that professors want undergraduate researchers in their lab. It is exciting that I most likely will end up in a lab as early as next year. I originally thought I had to be more knowledgeable to get into one. It is great to know that Miami faculty and students are willing to help passionate people get into research. I am nervous for next semester's project. I am not sure how passionate I am about some of the topics. I also do not know many people in the class, so I am nervous for a large group of people I do not know. This will cause some awkwardness because people do not want to step on each other's toes or will carry their weight. I hope this will not happen, but it is likely. I am curious and unsure what the project will look like. I do not think COVID will go away anytime soon. This could make research difficult and different than previous years. I do not know if that means many Zoom calls or surveys emailed.

I am currently excited about potential research opportunities. I have been looking at websites that show all the professors that want undergraduate assistants, and I was surprised. I did not think they would want any at this moment. It gives me hope that I will find one in the future that I will enjoy. I would like to work in a cognitive psychology lab or an animal psychology lab. This means it is likely more hands on than other psychology labs (so less likely now to be open). I would like to help in a lab before I start to do research on my own. Currently, I think it would be interesting to see how different types of working out could impact an inmate and their rehabilitation. I also would like to research the relationship of if someone thinks they are a musician and self-esteem. The trope tortured artist gets thrown around and I would like to see if research shows that. Other than those two ideas, I am still curious about the world and ready for research ideas to show up.

I have really struggled this semester and especially this week. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away this week. This has caused me to lose motivation and get distracted easily. I usually can write with a flow but even this assignment took many sittings and blank stares. FYRE has been difficult because there are a lot of guest lecturers. I feel like I know a lot about Miami Resources but not about the research process. Personally, the research process seems second to the resources. I do have my successes even when times are tough. I am not failing any classes and I have enough of a cushion that my blunders this week did not push me over. I also think showing up and asking questions is a big success. It takes a lot out of me but it seems to be beneficial.

October Reflection Questions

After reviewing your work from the second month of class, what are the biggest takeaways or learning outcomes?

Response:

My biggest takeaway is that life twists and turns. In my professor interview I asked about "How do you know what fit is right for you?". He talked about how experiences can teach you what you like and more importantly what you do not like. In October, I was stressing about how I need to have my whole life planned to a tee and how I don't so I am behind. Luckily, people helped calm my nerves by saying it is okay to change your mind about what you want to do. I do not need a plan no matter how much I would want one.

This month, we started to brainstorm research questions for the spring. Revisit your group's theme and accompanying notes and consider how you might fine-tune it now that we are nearing the end of the semester. What thoughts do you have on your group's research question?

Response:

To be honest, my research question has caused much stress. I am really worried about my group's research question. We were confused on the first one and it really did not fit with the theme of this class. In the end we changed it up but my impression of the question is vastly different than my peers. The question (from my knowledge) is about how to advertise research to undergraduates. There is very little research on online advertising which could be an interesting thing to look at. Our question needs to have a medium whether it be print, on campus, online or any other way to communicate opportunities. Overall, I think there is much to do to refine this question.

November

Assignment #8: Literature Grid

Assignment 8

Assignment #9: IRB Certification

Assignment #10: Attend a SOURCE Workshop

Getting Started in Undergraduate Research

I had attended the SOURCE workshop about getting started in undergraduate research. My overall impression of the workshop was that it was informative. As a person who has attended a couple of workshops about research and is taking a class the information was a little redundant. The question and answer part of the workshop led me to learn about new information. Most of the questions were about things that I did not need to know about at this point of my research journey. Personally, I want to work at a lab before I start getting grant money to do my own research. The presentation was good at having a wider audience in undergraduate research. There were people from all different types of majors and assumable different years in school. The presenters did a good job of talking about more than one point in their career.

I did find value in what the SOURCE officers were saying even if it was not directly useful. I learned that everyone's path is different. In class we learned about some students in research but most of them followed the same path. They all were very adamant about starting right away and how much they enjoy the experience. I thought the SOURCE officers were a little more realistic when it came to their experiences. They all seemed to struggle and were open about how that made them a better person. The officers did not sugar coat on how hard research can be at times. They talked about how research is a commitment which is a first from all the presentations I have previously seen. This helped in making me feel a little more secure in my path for research. It is not always easy which is reassuring.

November Reflection Question

What were the key takeaways for you during the last month of class?

Response:

The key thing for me this last month of class was there are many steps to start research. I thought you just jumped into a lab and that is research. The funny thing is you need to research to find out what you want to research. Nothing is that easy and research is no exception. I also found out that I need to get out of MLA because I will likely only be doing APA for the rest of my life. So I need to get comfortable with that formatting because it is not going away any time soon.

What did you not get the opportunity to learn from this class? How might you go about learning it in other ways?

Response:

I wished I learned about how to contact professors when you are interested in their work. I feel really uncomfortable doing this and practice is the only way to ease that. I also wished we learned about how to balance life and research. There were a lot of people talking about that research as a serious commitment. One should not need to drop everything for anything. This skill will just take experimenting with different ways of organization and time management. Both of these things I need to learn about and are different for everyone.

Final Reflection

Response

This class has taught me more than I ever expected from a one credit class. I walked into this class thinking I would be doing research and that would change my life. This class has been pivotal in my college experience. Most importantly this class emphasizes the notion of asking questions and communicating with others. I walked into this class embarrassed to do either of those traits. This in turn has challenged me to get out of my head and not do college alone. This is kind of silly because everyone is alone on their laptop doing their work. The internet has been the crutch to connect people and is doing the very best it can. My biggest challenge is being myself. I feel that I am awkward and do not fit as the stereotypical college student. I never came into any class trying to be someone I am not. This might have hindered me in making friends but I feel that the connections I made were more authentic.

This class put me in a small group for the whole semester of fellow freshman psychology majors. It was interesting to work with like minded individuals and helped me look at different pathways in that major. I am terrified for the next semester's project. It seems that most of the class wants to pick their groups. As someone who knows very few people this causes much stress. On the flip side, I want to meet more people and groups that have more diversity tend to be more productive. This will help think of the project in many different ways. I am excited to do research and have hands-on experience.

I am not entirely sure what I want to do after FYRE. I am currently looking into labs that are interesting to me. Next semester, I am taking classes that I think are interesting. This can help me find out if I am good at them and find them enjoyable. These classes could aid me in finding a lab. I did not want to sign up for a lab this semester or during the next semester. It seems irrational to do two projects at the same time as a freshman. Another thing I am looking at is some internships. This also can be a way I can fine tune what I am interested in. One of the most powerful things I took away from this class is that all experiences are beneficial one way or another. There were a couple of SOURCE events that I thought about how certain things were not for me. I could have thought about how I should be doing homework but it was beneficial because of its irrelevance.

My goals for next semester are being open to opportunities and trying to connect with people more. Being online makes me feel isolated. I have joined clubs. The next step is socializing with my peers better. Hopefully, I can continue to grow and change the world.