Above My Already High Expectations

What do you expect when you are going to Siberia to work with world-class scientists? I had high expectations just like my fellow students. But what I have experienced on this journey thus far is far beyond my wildest dreams. The science is one thing, you expect to work hard and learn, but the people are what make the science happen. The group dynamic between Principal Investigators (referred to as a PI), and students has created a close-networked relationship that is both heavy in science and guidance. Those who guide us on the field of Arctic research during this journey have become more than just teachers and mentors, but friends. We eat together, laugh together, and work 20-hour days in the field and the lab to accomplish as much as we can in our three-week stay in Cherskiy. The group motivation is extraordinary, and the dedication is second to none. These truly are people who are passionate about what they do and their curiosity and methods for new discovery has now been passed on to us. To be interested in science and discovering connections in the environment you must be curious and ask questions to yourself. Questions can range from the small: How does the level of this lake vary over a year from the melt season in the spring to the winter freeze? To the large: What is the future of carbon and how can we better predict changes in bio-geochemistry of the water? The questions are virtually endless, and the results unknown but hypothesized. Whether you prove your hypothesis to be true or not true, you are creating knowledge and further insight to the future of climate change, and thus at a young academic age making a mark in scientific discovery. That is the learning process and the magic of this project and what makes the last two weeks and the next two weeks more exciting than one can possibly expect.

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