Reflections on Fall 2019

4 Semesters Down

As I sit here in my apartment the weekend after finals week, there is an overwhelming and almost suffocating nothingness to do.  But at this time, I'm taking a moment to look back at the past semester and appreciate all that has happened in the time.

Within all that Is, there is a web of confusion.  We wrestle the strings until we realize that our job is not to untangle it, but solely appreciate the pattern woven.

Prospecting Research

Coming off my summer position as a Research Assistant, in which I essentially went into the office as a 9-5 job, you would expect me to have a good understanding of my Masters research project.  But oh boy, I was wrong.  Albeit, I slacked a bit towards the end of the summer, but going into the Fall it was very obvious that I had a lot of ground to make up.  And I haven't stopped running since that revelation.

This semester, I had to check off one of my graduation requirements: my Prospectus.  This is essentially a fleshed out project proposal essay and presentation, and I had anticipated doing it in September.  And then October came.  And then November.  Setback after setback occurred and I found myself in a situation where I had to schedule it the Monday of Thanksgiving Week, one of the last times I could do it and still be on track.  

Amidst running around campus, collecting signatures from faculty to schedule my presentation, Part of Me accepted that I would not get it done and would have to graduate late.  And yet, another Part of Me grew extremely steadfast and refused to let my future simply drift in the tide.  The latter Part won that battle and I got it scheduled at the very last minute (in part thanks to some very kind and understanding faculty members!).

And then my Prospectus date came. I found myself running around campus again, getting Dunkin Donuts for my committee, wrangling faculty, setting up the projector, and meeting 3 of my (very non-Geology) friends coming to my talk for support.  At this point I was not nervous, as I came to terms that I was simply going to talk about what I've been doing and learning about for 4 semesters.  I have a kind of calmness in crafting and delivering a narrative, even if that narrative is simply about wetlands, electronics, and why they go well together. 

My professors challenged me, and I stood my ground and addressed their questions.  It wasn't perfect, but it was GOOD.  By the end, my committee was impressed with my work.  Allow me to reiterate that last point.  Professors (aka real scientists whom I all look up to greatly) listened to me (a 22 year old with dreams and no experience) talk for an hour, and they were genuinely impressed by the work that I have been doing and presenting. To say the least, it was a very large dopamine shot to the heart.

Also related to this, I FINALLY got a working seepage meter design! It can make measurements, log data, and I wrote a program to analyze it all!  It's all coming up, Darcy!

Training to be a Geologist

You may recall that I have talked about taking a geology test and stressing about it. What this is in relation to is professional licensure.  The National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) sets to semi-standardize the process to become a registered Professional Geologist.  Each state has different requirements, but they typically involve earning a Geology degree, working a number of years, and passing two exams: The Fundamentals of Geology (FG) and the Practice of Geology (PG).  

In Florida, once you earn a Geology degree, you are able to apply for and take the FG, which covers a broad range of geology information which is a review of your undergraduate degree.  I applied in January and was accepted to take the FG in October.  This exam is only given twice a year, and I had to drive down to Orlando to take it on a Friday morning.  I would describe the whole process as a less organized SAT for geologists.   It was tough, I second guessed a lot of things, but being a TA for an introductory Earth Science class was SO helpful.  

A couple of weeks ago, I found out that I had passed my FG exam.  In Florida, this grants me a Geologist In Training license.  This doesn't really mean much other than shows that I am working towards my Professional Geologist license.  But it does mean that if you type my name into the Florida Licensing database (https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID=), you can see that I am licensed, which I think is actually pretty cool.

Wrestling Uncertainty

In a truly strange and stressful time of my life, I find myself struggling with uncertainty for one of the first times of my life.  With my graduation approaching in May, I need to figure out what I want to do then.  I've been in a job application frenzy, been denied a quite a few times and waiting to hear back at many others. I need to decide if I a) want to stay in Florida or b) figure out where I want to move to, and also what kind of job should I get.  Research, government, consulting?  It's all kind of a lot but I'm sure it will all turn out alright. 

Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that I demand excellence out of all that I do and do not like doing a poor job.  This has been a significant motivator in my Prospectus strife and my struggles studying for the FG, and carries on to what I want to do when I graduate.  I want to be useful, make an impact, and do what I like.  I've spent 5 years in Geology training, earning 2 degrees, and I do not want to settle for something that does not check those boxes.  And thus, I am uncertain in what I want to fulfill this.  I have opportunity and it is all a matter of getting fate and timing to all align, where I will hopefully make the effort to make it happen. Until then, I will keep working, keep learning, but also enjoy this winter break.

KC
Geologist In Training
Darcy's Lawyer Blog