Year 3 Sem 2 modules

This Semester, I am taking 4 modules, excluding the UROPS module - LSM 4253 (Behavioural Biology), LSM 3251 (Ecology and Environmental Systems), LSM 3252 (Evolution and Comparative Genomics) and SSS 1207 (Natural Heritage of Singapore).

Doing UROPS, I learnt more about research and writing of paper and skills basically.

LSM 4253 also trained me in retrieving information from journal papers and writing papers as I attempted the term paper and wrote of carotenoid as an indicator of quality leading to subsequent dichromatism in Northern Cardinal. My biggest mistake is probably choosing my term paper topic, not based on what there is to find out, but based on the species Cardinal cardinalis which I adore. There was actually nothing significantly new about this topic or things I could expound on, but I search deep and hard to come up with a hypothesis, which does not hold water in the end. If I could redo this term paper, I would first do an extensive literature review on my areas of interest and what is lacking research/review papers in. My topic was very narrow as well, might not be the best choice to focus on that species alone... There was quite little papers, I realised, comparing to my friends who had 50 over. I only had perhaps not more than 20 references.

So did LSM 3251 trained me in writing papers and searching and skimming of journal papers. This it did so for the practical report on how the crustacean community structure changes with high and low tides.

I feel like I am undergoing training for Honours Year this Semester. It is something I am very grateful for. As I know how critical these skills are, struggling with them doing the papers and reports.

Very interestingly, I like the modules LSM 4253 and LSM 3252 more than LSM 3251 and SSS 1207. I find they stimulate my thinking more and require less intensive reading work than the other two. Maybe they're more interesting too?

It's very interesting how I prefer studying some things over others. But whatever it is, I will need to enjoy whatever I'm studying, in order to be a true biologist and to reap the true joy of learning. :)