”You get to do whatever you want—think big”

I knew that I would not have as much freedom to do research on whatever I desire in a seminar than I would in the IRP, and that was what motivated me to choose to take part in the project. Getting to work one-on-one with my supervisor was also one of the project’s greatest appeals to me. My supervisor, Professor Sasahara, who was right by my side for an hour and a half each week and always quick to reply to my emails, gave me all the help I could ever ask for. In retrospect, the IRP’s working environment granted me autonomy over what I did and allowed me to work with stronger focus, higher efficiency, and more reliable guidance.

Through a year of work I was able to learn more about Pink Floyd, one of my favorite rock bands, than I ever did in my free time and than I ever would have imagined. Observing and analyzing the band’s touring patterns was my primary aim, but much more than that was discovered along the way. A lot of new knowledge I acquired had to do with the dynamics of the band’s members—the places they went, how they formed and broke up, their new endeavors over time, etc.—over the near-sixty years of the band’s history. It was mainly because of the IRP that I was able to learn this much about one of my subjects of interest, as fascination alone may not lead me to learn as much about a subject than the need to write a ten-thousand word paper on it would.

In collecting and organizing data I familiarized myself with a number of data processing softwares. For one, I deepened my understanding of Microsoft Excel in the discovery of how to save time when generating tables and regression outputs with the use of commands and shortcuts, as well as that of several minor functions that will come in handy if I want to present my data in a more visually appealing manner. What was entirely new to me was the software Gretl, which generated regression outputs from datasets that the user provides. Seeing how intuitive the interface is, I may very well rely on the software for future needs.

It is best to see the IRP, apart from an alternative for a research seminar, as a chance to develop a better understanding of just about anything you wish. Free from the limitations of a research seminar where your topic has to revolve around a certain discipline, the project gives you a chance to temper your wildest passions with academic rigor, and it is for people who seek to acquire a deep, statistical understanding of something that interests them, an understanding that may far exceed the level of an average enthusiast. In its core, the project is a platform for you to prove how much you love something rather than how excellent you are.