What are you studying and why?

[90sNickelodeon]

Me: Higher Education Administration

Why? I like working in a university. It's as simple as that.

Your turn.

[shai]

Social Psychology - Decision Making

i feel like there's so much more to learn in the field and that i might bring my 2 cents worth of insight

[UnlikelyGrad]

Geochemistry--environmental stuff, specifically contaminated soil and groundwater.

Why?

I am a gardener. I love dirt.

Can't escape the chemistry--it's in my blood.

Used to do volunteer work with firefighters and learned interesting stuff about toxic waste.

[joro]

Computer Science - Computer Graphics

Why?

I like computer graphics. I also enjoy drawing, photography, animation, and long walks on the beach.

My goal is to eventually work in the motion picture industry as a technical director for a few years then work my way into r&d or become a visual effects supervisor.

[coyabean]

It depends. Something like cultural anthropology of knowledge production, critical race studies, urban policy and history higher education.

Why? Because I'm crazy. I mean jusssst crazy enough to think that I might be able to actually make a difference in how education attainment is enacted in a first world democracy and that people who look like people I love might actually stand a chance at parity.

And I can't sing. Cause if I could sing?! Mannnn...

[coyabean]

Computer Science - Computer Graphics

Why?

I like computer graphics. I also enjoy drawing, photography, animation, and long walks on the beach.

My goal is to eventually work in the motion picture industry as a technical director for a few years then work my way into r&d or become a visual effects supervisor.

You say long walks on the beach and all I hear is

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

Entomology, specifically urban ecology.

Why?

Bugs are ridiculous and make me laugh. But I need to find a way to make that a job. Lucky for me, urban ecology is sort of the hot thing right now, and insects are a fantastic thing to study in cities. No, not just cockroaches and termites, but the ecology of insects in vacant lots is pretty cool. I also like the thought of working in a city because it would be a way to reach to a lot of kids that were like me and thought there was no nature to study around home (no, I am not recreating my SOP haha). I'm a homebody and think you shouldn't feel the need to go to Africa to study the cool biology (though, damn would I love to go!)

[rising_star]

I study conservation both because I believe in it and because I hate how the ideas of Westerners screw over the impoverished.

[melusine]

I wish I could tell you why I love literature as much as I do, I wish I could explain why literature matters as much as it truly does.. unfortunately I would fail on both counts: my mediocre writing skills could never do the subject justice.

let's just say literature often is one of those commonly disregarded, yet, inconspicuously pervasive foundational elements that shape and influence practically every thought, opinion, relationship or decision we make on both an individual and a global scale.

it is also, to date, the most effective form of time travel! (not to mention inter-dimensional or transcendental)

as for my studies, comparative literature is my most natural calling: i speak, think, read and write in three languages (often simultaneously and equally poorly!)

[gremot]

medical genetics - translational research

you can hardly imagine how many cool and important things have been discovered in genetics over past 30 years.... and it irritates me to see that nothing major has happened in the medical system - the knowledge is just not passed on nor put into practical use because... It's time to actually start helping people, seriously

Edited December 26, 2009 by gremot

[wolfentinus]

Social Psych - social identities

I'm fascinated by how the identity of each of us is shaped by our group memberships, and however some may deny, the power of social influence is very real & powerful, yet subtle.

[Roll Right]

sociology of religion in conjunction with social stratification and identity formation. why? religion is far from dead, in fact the world may be more religious than it ever has been. besides, I think transcendentalism is extremely fascinating.

[Hatem]

Immunology

I have fallen in love with Immunology at the first sight

I am fascinated by the way the immune system works and how the immune cells defend our bodies against pathogens and how they communicate with each other.These processes are very interesting.

I hope I will be an Immunologist oneday and conduct research in Autoimmunity and immune memory.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Hatem

[melusine]

I think transcendentalism is extremely fascinating.

It totally is! Funny, my focus (in Comp Lit) actually latches on the levinasian concept of transcendence to apply it to a few literary movements/works of a few particular authors. fascinating subject.

[johndiligent]

the archaeology of early Christian social identity

I just combined all of the great loves of my life: ancient history, archaeology, religious studies and identity theory.

[t_ruth]

ooh, all of yours sound so interesting!

I'm studying educational psychology and my main interest is motivation - particularly what drives people to 'achieve'

Why? Because this question has been nagging me my entire life. It just won't shut up.

[jlee306]

Undergrad: Psychology

Grad: School Psychology

Why: B/c I have always LOVED school and want to stay in school forever. I have always been intrigued by psychology as well and want to help students who hate school succeed.

[alexis]

Why: B/c I have always LOVED school and want to stay in school forever.

I love that you said that, I feel the exact same way.

Studying: organizational behavior.

Why: Everything came together after working in management, getting my master's in HR & taking an org psych class. I realized, "aha! this is what I want to do." I want to help people have happier, better lives & relationships at work. I had always loved school, but didn't know what I would want to study in a PhD. I majored in history in undergrad, and realized that while I really enjoyed my history courses, I didn't like research in it as much. Then once I started doing OB/psychology research, I realized how much I love it, and now want to do a PhD in it. That way, I can keep doing school forever, and I think I'll really enjoy teaching as well. Took a few years, but I finally figured out what I want to do with my life. It's a good feeling.

[fuzzylogician]

Linguistics. Specifically, formal semantics.

I think languages are a fascinating aspect of human nature. I enjoy studying them individually, but even more so I enjoy finding commonalities in them and also pinpointing what makes them unique. I think it's one of the most diverse fields out there, that requires a synthesis of the kinds of skills that are usually attributed to exact scientists and those that are usually attributed to social scientists.

I like it that people who talk to me know that I care both about what they say, and how they say it *grins*. I like being able to use formal tools like logic and various calculi to convey meaning patterns. And I like being able to write papers that use sentences like these: "John often runs around naked", "John ate the fish raw naked", and, best of all, "John pounded the meat flat raw naked."

[Roll Right]

Linguistics. Specifically, formal semantics.

I think languages are a fascinating aspect of human nature. I enjoy studying them individually, but even more so I enjoy finding commonalities in them and also pinpointing what makes them unique. I think it's one of the most diverse fields out there, that requires a synthesis of the kinds of skills that are usually attributed to exact scientists and those that are usually attributed to social scientists.

I like it that people who talk to me know that I care both about what they say, and how they say it *grins*. I like being able to use formal tools like logic and various calculi to convey meaning patterns. And I like being able to write papers that use sentences like these: "John often runs around naked", "John ate the fish raw naked", and, best of all, "John pounded the meat flat raw naked."

LMFAO @ the last bit!

How did we all come to study these things?

[Dr._Robotnik's_Shadow]

I study film (production and theory). Who doesn't like movies? Telling stories, acting, pictures, travel, design are all a part of movies. It's fun to make something artistic that people can watch and enjoy. The history and theory behind it all is just as interesting. There are a lot of "secret" messages in films and to decode these and search for meaning in movies is interesting to me. Film studies is something I can talk about with anyone wheter they studied it formally or not. You can talk about it at a casual level with your roomie or get really deep with a theorist as long as you've both seen the same flick. With a degree in film you have a lot of options of where you can work (classroom, set, editing room, office). It's a versatile degree that can transfer to a variety of jobs in different fields.

[jacib]

Linguistics. Specifically, formal semantics.

I think languages are a fascinating aspect of human nature. I enjoy studying them individually, but even more so I enjoy finding commonalities in them and also pinpointing what makes them unique. I think it's one of the most diverse fields out there, that requires a synthesis of the kinds of skills that are usually attributed to exact scientists and those that are usually attributed to social scientists.

I like it that people who talk to me know that I care both about what they say, and how they say it *grins*. I like being able to use formal tools like logic and various calculi to convey meaning patterns. And I like being able to write papers that use sentences like these: "John often runs around naked", "John ate the fish raw naked", and, best of all, "John pounded the meat flat raw naked."

Fuzzylogician, have you ever read "English Sentences Without Overt Grammatical Subjects" by James McCawley under the pseudonym Quang Phúc Ðông? I think you'd like it.

[gildedProgressive]

Ok, so I confess: I've been a lurker for a while now, and I felt this was a harmless question to answer and jump into the conversation.

In fact, that's what I do--or want to. I want to jump into historical conversations, particularly those relating to Gilded Age/Progressive Era and Alabama history. I guess I'm also pretty interested in post-War America in general.

Why?

For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in American literature and history. I started school as an English major. My school only had three full time English faculty, and the one who taught American lit classes was also Asst. Dean, so he couldn't offer as many classes as the other two. I then was subjected to a primarily English lit education, something I very much enjoyed, but would not have chosen for myself. I picked up the history major after taking a class on GA/PE, whereupon I was challenged like I never had been. I had professors who pushed me to the limit and saw in me the capability to excel in the history profession. The Alabama history interest has come more recently. I was born and raised here, but until I met a major Alabama historian (as well as started a research project related to Alabama history), I never completely understood how important it was. Also, I've always had this inherent desire to teach. This is definitely what I'm supposed to be doing.

[natsteel]

My area of concentration is 18th-century American history. I don't have any great story about why I'm drawn to it, but I am the kind of person that reads journal articles on my own time outside of classwork. So there must be some connection. It seems to me a strange period in which modern America is recognizable but so much of 18th-century society and politics is very different. Right now, my honors thesis focuses on events in NYC leading up to independence and the colony's changing political dynamic.

[MidTNHistoryhopeful]

Study Area(s): The Concept of "Frontier" in North America. Specifically the 18th Century, using interdisciplinary methods of Geosciences (GIS) and archaeology. Additionally, I have a great passion for Public History and interpreting History to the public (I'm a Ranger at a State Historic Park).

Why?: Because the cross-cultural adaptation and integration that took place between the various Empires at the frontier, regardless of time period, helped shape our identities as Americans. I also believe that as America pushes further into a intra-cultural era, our past experiences will resound with answers for modern questions. Thats a bit broad, so specifically I'm working on these issues applied to 18th century Tennessee and Kentucky as well as the upper Mississippi Valley. Themes I'm working with are Middle Ground, Frontier Exchange economy and Metropolitanism. I'm using GIS, geomorphology, and Archaeology in order to back historical theories with scientific fact.