High-Impact Learning
Throughout my time at UCF, I have completed many research opportunities, one of which is showcased here. While working collaboratively with other students, we drafted, composed, and edited a thorough research proposal in which we discussed the potential effects of diet on cortisol levels in African American women who were pregnant for the first time.
This proposal was was completed over the course of four months and consisted of countless hours of research to find relevant information which could then be applied to our specific area of interest.
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Reflection
Looking back at my time here at UCF, I would say that my most meaningful experience in regard to high impact learning would be completing Research-Intensive courses. These courses included Epidemiology and Applied Health Research Methods. For epidemiology, I completed a semester long product which happened to be a research project on the association between smoking and cervical cancer mortality. In Applied Health Research, I also completed a semester-long group project, which included a research proposal for the association between vegan dietary lifestyle and non-modified diets and elevated cortisol levels in primigravida African American women.
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Some skills that I gained from this experience include appreciating teamwork, meeting deadlines, making informed decisions, motivating people, and exploring occupational information. One example of a situation where I learned these skills when completing the Research-Intensive courses, is when in Epidemiology, I utilized many different databases to extract vital information pertaining to the topic at hand. By efficiently combing through information, this allowed my deduction and analytical skills to emerge. Once information was gathered, I could then formulate hypotheses and conclusions.
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I was able to adapt these skills to a different situation by being able to work under pressure. One instance where this applies is when my sister and I went to eat at a restaurant. Someone had unfortunately started choking on their food. I immediately told my sister to call 911 while I started performing the Heimlich maneuver. Luckily, the person ended up being okay, but it helped me realize that I was able to stay calm and possess deductive reasoning all while under a stressful situation.
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In the future, I plan to apply these skills by working in the OR and remaining calm and confident in the work that I am doing. I believe that it takes years of practice and dedication to master your skills and truly succeed at what you do. I also believe that starting with those Research-Intensive courses is a good introduction into the field that you are interested in.
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These learned skills tie back into my plans because many courses that I take in my graduate degree program will require a heavy research load. Being prepared for those by taking a few of those courses now, allows me to be set up for success.
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Linked below is an in-depth description of the aforementioned research listed above.