Last week the trainings and discussions we had cut across the disciplines. How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program, the fact that students are focusing on such a diverse range of projects, help you think about your project and/or your academic interests more broadly?
I was drawn to the Laidlaw program because of its interdisciplinary nature. Every field—every study—dies without others, alike and different, to nurture it. In other words, by bringing together a cohort of students uniquely passionate about different topics and motivated by different ends, we create a scholarly conversation and community that sustains each of our individual focuses.
In the past week, my own project has taken a drastic turn as I’ve become more acquainted with existing literature and pushed myself to challenge my notions of conventional research. While a literature review is still something I’m interested in working on, I no longer see it as the nucleus of my project. That nucleus—now ambiguously teetering between a full-blown photography project and a Story Map—has taken on a more personal route, one that has immersed me more deeply in my research.
In terms of my academic interests, conversations with my fellow Laidlaw scholars have truly inspired me to explore the intersections of our work. In our small graduate student session, we’ve begun having productive discussions about how our research complements one another’s and how different methodologies can be applied across projects. These conversations have pushed me to rethink the previously rigid boundaries of my academic interests and encouraged me to explore other fields while leveraging the skills I know I’m strongest in.
As you begin your individual research projects this week, do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?
I’m concerned about the scope of the literature I plan to engage with. With only four weeks remaining, I want to remain mindful of time and set a hard deadline for myself to stop reviewing literature and begin drafting the first pieces of my research paper. I have started my photography project, which should hopefully be completed by the 3rd week of the program!