For my Odyssey Project, I worked under the graduate students at the Language Perception Lab at The Ohio State University in order to learn about what they do day in and day out and gain a basic understanding of the different skills and knowledge they need to do their work.
As a part of that, I read lots of research. I learned how to read sound spectrograms and how to cleanly edit sound files that can be used in experiments. I learned how to build and run experiments, and I learned how to code using Python and R for data analysis. And I generally learned about the day-to-day functions of the lab, how it feels and what the work is like.
I went in four times a week, leaving my house by bike at 7:25 a.m., catching the campus bus over to the RPAC at 7:45 a.m., and walking up to the psychology building, where I spent the rest of my morning before reversing that at 10:55 and getting back to school by 11:30 so I could each lunch and get to class on time (an hour total in transit, 8 miles of total travel).
Each day I got to decide what I worked on and for how long so I had complete freedom to take things at my own pace and really master certain skills (such sound editing, which I deeply enjoyed). I also had total access to OSU's resources so I could read research that's typically blocked by a paywall and I had access to the team's comunal drive so I was really able to get an insider's look at what people are working on.
Why did this focus interest you?
I started looking into this because the doctor overseeing the lab, Dr. Pitt, is a part of the Cognitive Science Department at OSU and I've recently become interested in cognitive science. It's the study of how humans think and why we think the way we do, and it's at the crossroads of a lot of interesting fields including linguistics.
Beyond that though, for my Odyssey, I wanted to learn if I liked proper lab work, if I wanted to work in a lab and conduct studies and compile data and write research papers, because throughout high school, we never really get that opportunity. Labs in chemistry or physics or any other science class aren't really built to be discovering new information or to really be deeply analyzing because we're learning information that others already know. It's good hands-on learning, but it's not like the lab work that you see at research institutions. I wanted to cross options off my list, decide whether I wanted to do something besides cognitive science or lab work, and hopefully narrow the playing field for all of my other career interests.
How does this project bookend your academic experience at the high school?
This Odyssey has forced me to push myself out of my comfort zone and really put myself out there. It's been really amazing in a lot of ways. All of high school is pretty habitual and ritualistic, so it's nice to break out of that and have the chance to explore something new before I spread my wings completely and head off to college.
It's also a nice bookend because, after three years in UAHS Community School, not going to class and seeing my teachers every day was really strange but an appropriate conclusion. It felt like, after spending those years learning how to step out of my shell and ask for new opportunities and harder projects, that I was actually able to apply those and see how far I could go when I tried.
What is your next step after graduation?
After graduation, I'm headed to Columbus State to figure out what I'm doing for the rest of my life and then I'll transfer to OSU. I hope to indulge more in sound editing, theater, creative writing and other interests while really sussing out my interest in cognitive science. I was accepted into the Honors Program there, so it'll be great to move into another environment similar to Community School where I'm able to have a close relationship with my teachers and my classmates and where I'm able to build my learning experience to my own needs. I'm also working to get an internship at Abbott Health to see how I take to office work, and I will be working at a camp where I hope to look at how I feel about teaching since that's been an interest of mine for some time now.
All in all, I have high hopes for the future.
About the Senior Odyssey Project Seniors in the Community School at Upper Arlington High School engage in a full-time, self-designed independent study exploration known as the Odyssey Project. These quarter-long projects may involve career-related experiences, community service endeavors, opportunities to hone practical skills, participation in college programs, involvement in a research project or the pursuit of a creative endeavor. We welcome community ideas for our seniors. Please feel free to submit those ideas through this online form.