Here are the links to my final project and its layperson summary, respectively:
Looking back at the experience of doing my final project, I would compare the experience to hiking the Grouse Grind. Both involve a long and arduous journey that is constantly challenging, and the finish line can often seem far and out of reach. But with hard work and determination, what seem to be insurmountable challenges can be overcome. And when the journey is finally complete, you gain a great sense of accomplishment.
One of the biggest lessons that I will take away from the final project is to be persistent when facing a challenge. There were often times when I had difficulty expressing my ideas in writing and it felt frustrating to be at a standstill when I wanted to move forward with my project. For example, the background section of my project was challenging for me to write because I had consulted many previous studies that served as the inspirations my research question, but it was difficult for me to figure out how to integrate these previous studies in my background section in order to set the stage for my project. Despite the difficulty I experienced, I kept working at it and I was eventually happy with what I wrote.
Though the challenges of the final project for BIOL 463 are over, there will still be plenty of challenges to face as I move forward, and I believe that persistence will help me overcome them.