”A great experience that expanded my horizon beyond my discipline.”

I took an elective course in food history in my sophomore year, as a Chinese studying in Japan, I developed interest in the culture and culinary history between Japan and China and became acquainted with my professor. After knowing that Independent Research Project would allow me to explore any topic from an academic approach and earn credits in the meanwhile. The program is designed in a way that leave students with a lot of freedom, I signed up for it because I thought this is a perfect opportunity for me to dive deeper into the topic of the history of Chinese cuisine in Japan and work closer with the same professor of the elective course I took.

The most rewarding experience was when I finished my thesis paper. As a student who is not in any seminar, Independent Research Project gave me an opportunity to compile my very own paper. Although I have written many essays and reports through my college years, this is my first time to write a paper above twenty-thousand words. The sense of completion is tremendous when a year of hard, yet fun work is condensed into an academic paper. For me, the completion of my Independent Research Project also marked the end of my undergraduate study, so it is quite meaningful in that way as well.

The biggest takeaway from the project was how to properly conduct academic research and manage a long project. These experiences can be applied to my future professional life in business research and project management.

This program gives you a chance to explore disciplines other than economics, of course you can use it to deepen understanding in a niche field of economics, I strongly suggest you to look into another field. After a year of independent research and exchange with your supervising professor, you can become a semi-expert in your topic!