cadet blogs

The Rush of Finals Week

(Academics, Class of 2012) Permanent link All Posts

Hello again! Sorry it has been a while since my last entry, but life has been busy here! We are currently in the midst of finals week, and I have had trouble keeping track of everything going on. I am in the middle of studying for Physical Chemistry and Intro to Electrical Engineering finals. But I have to take time to keep y’all updated! Although recently has been busy, these past couple weeks have been about more than studying. As a Marine and Environmental Sciences major, I have had to finish several projects; this includes an analysis for my Geographic Information Systems class. This involved my partner and I picking a topic of interest to us, and using programs such as ArcGIS to analyze our problem and find a solution. We chose to analyze locations for a relief shelter on the Hawaiian Islands. It was interesting to see how what we learn every day in class can be applied to real-life scenarios. Also, I finished up my final lab for Physical Chemistry; it involved analyzing HCl molecules spectroscopically. Although this sounds boring to some, working with $100,000 worth of equipment to solve a problem is my idea of a good way to get college credit!

I have also been recently involved in applying for internships next summer. For 1st class summer, cadets must go for at least six weeks aboard a USCG cutter, but can also apply for several internship opportunities. I have decided to apply for an internship involving research in Seward, Alaska. This would let me do research involving marine mammals, and working closely with these creatures is every Marine Science major’s dream! I am also applying for an internship which takes place in either San Diego or Japan. This involves doing cutting-edge research into plasma, and the opportunity to travel abroad (for free!) would be worth the hard work itself.

Although I have three straight finals, I will be prepared to finish them up and head back home to South Carolina! I love visiting home, but I always miss my friends back here. When we return, we will have to switch roommates. This is unfortunate, because I am currently rooming with 2/c Bo Wowtschuk, who also has a cadet blog! But no matter how much I miss him I know he will miss me more. But I can’t wait to get back home, and hopefully get in some snowboarding, fireworks, and a lot of good Southern cooking before I have to return. Season’s greetings to everyone!

More about Nathan.

Posted by Leann Strickland at 2/2/2012 2:59 PM