After talking to other students in my class, I realized that I needed to branch out in my geographic area for interviews and possible mentors. My interests in astronautical engineering and aerospace research means that the pool of professionals is very small in Frisco or even the Dallas metroplex. At the same time, interviews with any professionals in the aerospace field will be very beneficial, so I should stop being so picky.
This past week my biggest struggle was finding articles for my assessment. Aerospace engineering is already a niche and complex field, so the astronautical subsection is even more selective and complicated. This means that majority of the articles from the database are too complex for my understanding. The language isn't the difficult part, it's the math and concepts themselves which are beyond my grasp. I then switched my attention to one article outlining the business aspect of astronautical engineering and one outlining a very interesting research startup. I learned more about the fuel that goes into aircrafts and the feasibility of hybrid fuel and reusable rockets.
These past two weeks of research fully established my specific interests. I realized that I absolutely love new technology and research. Staying current and pushing the boundaries of science and math is what intrigues me the most, whether that is reusable parts of spacecrafts or discovering more fuel efficient and safer energy sources.
My biggest concern going into this next week is cold calling. I need my personality to come across and be personable enough so I can land a phone call or even an interview.