This week in ISM, not only did I feel that I gained new information, but I was able to put it to the test. We were required to create a practice resume, and this is extremely helpful for the future. However, I really didn't have much experience writing one, so this allowed me to put the most important aspects of myself to paper and see what I need to improve on. I know that astrophysics is a very competitive field, so creating a strong resume that highlights what makes me special is crucial to success.
I still need to work on creating a high level research assessment. So far, when I analyze articles, I usually describe what I learn and how it affected my perspective on astrophysics and space. Although this gets some analysis, it's only surface level, so I need to improve my ability to look deeper into articles and draw out the hidden meanings that they have for me. This is still difficult for me, but I know that with practice and feedback from my teacher, I'll be able to improve significantly. Because of this, next week I will try to find an article that's very interesting for me, but also doesn't have only facts and information, and this should help me grow and improve.
The biggest thing that I really enjoyed was finally starting to connect with professionals. I was able to find people in the area that I lived who pursued astrophysics as a career, so it's very exciting to think of all the possibilities for the upcoming year!