For this passion blog I should have talked about soccer. Indeed, in the past few weeks, there were many wonderful games in Europe (such as the game between Real Madrid and PSG), and in my home country something about soccer is also worth considering. But somehow, I decided not to talk about soccer this time, for I have had a wonderful experience this weekend.
As a freshman majoring in Earth Sciences, I have always been looking for a chance to get closer to scientific study and career. Then my advisor told me about NEGSA (Northeastern Geological Society Annual Conference, Vermont), which is an academic meeting. Then I signed up for it without hesitation. And this conference didn’t let me down.
What have I learned from NEGSA? Actually, it is hard for me to understand all the talks about different kinds of research. I tried my best to focus and comprehend, but it was good enough for me to get 50% of these knowledges. In spite of that, I think it worthwhile. First, I at least felt what an academic report should be like. Second, I learned about some of the research method. For example, one of the things that impressed me was that a lecturer installed big cones to bottles in order to gather sediments more efficiently. What’s more, the techniques of taking sediment cores and evaluating geohazards are really interesting. What should Earth Science be like? What does it mean to be a scientist? Before coming to the conference, I only had vague answers to this question. Now I know that science it really a hard thing, but it is really cool. You have to deal with millions of data and analyze them. To get the data, you also need creative methods. After one talk, I came to the lecturer and had a conversation with him. The lecturer, Dr. Zhao, is also a Chinese. He was surprised that I came here as a freshman. Zhao told me about his educational background, and what he planned to do in the future. As he said, a foreigner as him is hard to get a job at US government, so he is considering going back to China. But he reminded me that I was still young and I had the time to find my real path. What a meaningful conversation!
I also had a lunch with geological experts working for government agents such as USGS to talk about careers. They shared their stories of how they worked and how they found their jobs. Although it was a bit too early for me to consider my career, I found it helpful to know about this. Job is an unavoidable topic, and sometimes the reality can be cruel. As one of the experts said, his job was not what he wanted when he graduated. But he learned to accept and he is happy now.
This trip provides me a great opportunity to get closer with Americans. We Chinese international students tend to stick with Chinese guys, for we often feel uncomfortable in an all-American situation. But this time I’m not just the only male, but also the only Chinese in this group. I talk with them, eat with them and even sleep……with them these days. What is it like to be an American? Well, I may know a little bit now.
I appreciate EMS and AWG to provide me with this opportunity. It really benefits me a lot.
