Introduction

My name is Moiya McTier.  I'm a sophomore living in Mather House with a joint concentration in Astrophysics and Folklore & Mythology.  That unusual combination stems from a life-long interest in sci-fi shows and fantasy books.  When I came to Harvard, I wasn't as open-minded as I am now, and was convinced that I had to choose one or the other.  It wasn't until this past summer that I realized that I didn't feel like letting other people's doubts keep me from pursuing something I would genuinely be interested in, so I decided to go for it. Now I can proudly say that I'm the second person with that joint concentration in the history of the college.

Besides the fact that Astro 16 is required for all astrophysics concentrators, I'm taking this class because it sounds interesting! It will provide me with a basic knowledge of things like how stars form and how they come together with planets to form our Solar system, which I wouldn't have the opportunity to learn in another class, or fully understand on my own.  Taking this class will also give me further experience to draw from in any internships I (hopefully) get for this summer.

Obviously, I want to gain a firm understanding of the material covered in this course.  But, more than that, I want to polish my problem-solving and group-work skills.  Both will come in handy in any research position I may hold in the future.  I'm also just excited to take a class with this format! It will be a welcome and educational change to get away from the lecture format and take a hands-on approach to learning this material.