My personal experience in SGC has helped in understanding how we use the foundations of scientific practice to explore the evidence, causes, and implications of past and present global change, and examine the use of scientific knowledge and communication when making decisions for the future through our excursions, in class activities, and lectures.
One time I have employed the hypothetico-deductive mehod of science in some setting other than SGC colloquium during the last three semester is during my CMSC, or computer science course. My SGC experience prepared me to employ it because of the excursion experience we had last year. During the excursions, we are required to research topics on which we are not knowledgeable and make predictions and find out if they are correct or not. This prepared me for similar findings in my classes and my clubs. Specifically, during my TerpsRacing club, we had to figure out which portions of a machine was missing, as our club had moved after COVID-19, and we had to do extensive research and pore through documentation in order to find the missing components and find out what they do. We then had to complile a list of missing parts and included parts, and deem which parts were necessary or not, in order to figure out which portion were necessary to order. Another situation where I used the hypodeductive method was in my CMSC class when we were assigned to research about topics pertaining to different types of lower level language and software. Excursions, especially the New York trip and my online excursion at the National Air and Space museum prepared me to research and develop thoughts about this topic and helped me to gather my thoughts and opinions more efficiently.
Personally, I had been interested in logical fallacies for a time before joining this course, and was one of the main reasons why I decided to pick SGC in the first place. For instance, when dealing with statistics, it's important not to relate two correlated things together to create a causation, as that's a common logical fallacy. Additionally, when listening to the media, in these days, politicians will commonly use logical fallacies or create connections based on logical errors many times, and when people have arguments, some will typically address a different concern, creating a strawman. I found these experience to be eye opening as I would not have recognized them before. Now, that I've had these experiences, I can more quickly and correctly think about my own situation and can identify whenever I'm making a logical fallacy.
The two classes that I learned from in this were ENGL101 and CMSC216, in which ENGL101, I had to research multiple sources in order to write a semester long essay about a specfic topic. SGC's excursions and in class activities helped me through that process. In CMSC216, we had to research about low level programming languages and similarly helped me with that as well.
My learning was improved and enhanced by interacting with my now good friend Bertrand Zhu. During the first semester of SGC, we didn't have that many classes togther, but during the second semester, we had MATH241 together. We would help each other by walking with each other to lectures and dicussion, making us more likely to go and encouraging each other to study through cooperation. We would help each other on the things we didn't know while asking each others for topics we needed help on. While it might have been distracting at times compared to working by yourself, ultimately, it served as a positive experience as we bonded closer because of that class and resulted in a closer friendship and a higher grade.
I believe I have not done nothing to contribute to SGC, however, I definitely could have done more. During class time, I'm often one of the main speakers during our group activities, and would often lead the conversation of the group. I believe that is a main part of class and discussions would not be of as high of quality without multiple people actively participating and leading the conversation. Additionally, during projects, I would suggest things an dideas for us to use, similarly resulting in a higher level product.
Scholars brought me into contact with people that reaffirmed my beliefs that I previously had, and challenged the way of thinking that I once had. For example, before coming to SGC, I was relatively of the mind that as a society, we should aim to help others when we see they are either lacking in something or struggling with something. However, because of some of the people I met in this program, I learned that not everyone is willing or learn from others, and while some people are grateful for advice, commonly people enjoy learning through things themselves more than getting taught from a peer. That is not to say that this applies to all people, however, only to some. Additionally, my thinking that critical thinking skills are one of the most important skills a member of society can have was reaffirmed by this class.
My Scholars experience might inform my future by letting me make more eco friendly decisions, make better logical thinking skills and choices, and think about the bigger picture of things and the history behind items. One of the more interesting things I learned in this class was the butterfly effect and its effect on distilled alcohol. SGC may be one of the earlier portions of the butterfly effect for me and I may draw on some expereinces pertaining to social skills and research portions in my junior, senior, and in my professional career.