Hey SC200! My name is Katherine, but people normally call me Kat. I’m a freshman in the College of Communications and I’m majoring in Telecommunications with possibly a double minor in Music Technology and Psychology. I’m from Westchester, NY, which is roughly forty minutes outside the city so transitioning to Happy Valley has been really cool.

While I was creating my schedule my advisor asked if I like science and surprisingly enough I do. Last summer I took courses in Neuroscience and Physics of Sound and Music. Although I was challenged I found the classes to be incredibly interesting. Unlike high school, where the science classes were very one dimensional, these courses showed me that science is way more complex and requires a certain way of thinking. Therefore, I’m taking this course because I think that it will challenge me to think and teach me how to interpret science in a different way.

Although I like science, I don’t like it enough to be a science major. I usually find science classes to be interesting, however I have never considered pursuing a career in science. This is because I wouldn’t be able to succeed in a field where equations and mathematics play a fundamental role. I’m always up for a challenge, but I want to major and ultimately work in a field that I find both interesting and know I will enjoy.

I am really excited to take this class because instead of it being centered around one topic it explores a plethora of more generalized topics. I’m specifically interested to learn about space and what the universe is made of. Space is a topic that really scares me; I get the chills whenever I think of the magnitude of the universe. But I’ve always enjoyed learning about the planets and came across this article about what children are being taught about Pluto. I think this is cool because I remember when I was in elementary school I was told that Pluto is a dwarf planet but I was never taught the reason. Ultimately I think that taking this course will help me think more critically about topics that I’ve never thought about.

(photo: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/how-big-is-pluto-new-horizons-settles-decades-long-debate)