Upon graduating from college many years ago, I was fairly certain that I would avoid any further education. I was tired of homework, tired of endless pages of boring reading, and certainly tired of sitting through two hour classes that were often dry and lifeless. The last thing I was interested in was subjecting myself to more of this abuse.
But the world works in mysterious ways. After ten years of wandering through the working world, and eventually finding an area that interested and energized me, I wanted back in. Which brings us to the present day. Today is Day 3 of my Summer Institute in Environmental Education. And so far, my re-entry into academia has been empowering. My brain has been reactivated!
Yesterday we spent the morning laying out 30m squares in the woods and collecting data from the surrounding trees and plants. I got to core a tree. We used geometry to calculate a 1/10th acre. We used a "high-tech" toilet paper roll tube to collect data regarding the canopy. I have spent many hours in the woods, but never collecting data. This experience was new and exciting and opened up a whole new way for me to look at the woods. My past work in environmental education has been primarily qualitative. "Look at the trees and animals children! Aren't they cool and great?" To look at nature from a quantitative perspective is something new which I'm looking forward to.
The beauty of the UNH EE Masters program is that you can co-create your course study with Eleanor. If the quantitative perspective is attractive, then this should be pursued as it will enhance your qualitative background.
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