Module 14

 Reflection

    My perception of evolution has changed quite a bit over the semester. I used to think evolution was something that happened in organisms as they live and go through their life, but now I know it's the changes that happen in a population over a long period of time, through multiple generations. I now know that science isn't something that can be boiled down to one or just a couple of processes. For example, so much goes into evolution, that you have to look at it from all sorts of angles to come to good conclusions. Natural selection, genetic drift, mutations, and many other things all contribute to evolution. 

    Through this course, I've learned how to look at things and problems in a different way, and look at different angles. I've also learned to use RStudio effectively, which I'm not sure will come in handy a lot in medical school, but it is a nice thing to know how to do if I need to! In my opinion, classes like this that have no tests help me to learn better as well. With tests, it almost feels like I'm cramming and then lose all the knowledge after the test is over, but for this class, doing exercises and engaging in discussions really made the material stick in my brain. With that being said, one of the areas I need to improve on is engaging in discussions during class more, since I'm a quiet person. My strength as the semester went on was definitely doing the R exercises, and keeping on top of my work and what needed to be done each week for the modules. Loved this class, and can't wait to take ichthyology with Professor Tobler next semester!

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