This week in ISM was all about preparing for the Research Showcase. I have been making final tweaks to my display board, ensuring that my original work is error-free, and communicating with my mentor, all to ensure a stress-free night of showing off my hard work thus far.The past seven days have served as a great reminder that ISM prepares you not only for work in your particular field of study, but also teaches useful presentation and public speaking skills.
For example, the creation of my display board (from scratch) has forced me to implement creativity in presenting my work, allowing me to practice finding a balance of professional and attention-getting in my layout and color scheme. I have also had to practice describing my original work, introducing my mentor, and detailing what I have learned about my topic to visitors who come by my display board. I am looking forward to seeing how much my public speaking, and confidence when doing so, has improved since last year's Research Showcase.
In addition to preparing for showcase, I have also begun writing mentor visit assessments and putting thought towards how I can involve my mentor in my Final Product. This early start on self-assessment and brainstorming will put me in a good place moving forward, as I hope to get as much of a head start as I can in the coming weeks.
