Week 14: Final paper and moving forward

    I have submitted my final paper (late) and I am okay with the content, although it could definitely be better. The database is in good shape on my end, my other team members seem enthused for their side of things, and we are all working hard over the break to put some finishing touches on it for a full demonstration. 

Overview of my final paper on building the BAT-MON database.

     I will be forever grateful to this scholarship program, which introduced me to opportunities I could never have had otherwise. Working within TRAIN has helped me grow as a person, given me the strength to face difficult challenges, and learn to work under pressure. I have learned what it's like to consult on a project and help plan out the steps to move forward, while also getting an understanding of how to complete a research project. I know that these skills will be very useful in the near future and I couldn't have had them without this program. Thank you to everyone including Amanda Chapman, Josh James, Matt Haberkorn, and all the other TRAIN scholars who have been so helpful and
welcoming since I have been a part of it. Good luck and keep putting in hard work to reach your goals.

Week 13: Approaching the end

 I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break. It was definitely a time for me to relax and catch up on things I have been wanting to do all semester. The transition to a new submission is mostly complete, with a few changes pending some meetings. I think that this new system is much easier for the average user and will help make incorporating map utilities much more seamless. 

Part of the new feature includes some reverse GPS lookup, called reverse geocoding. A surveyor will have their location saved, and predictive measures will be taken to see if the user is at a commonly accessed site. If the surveyor confirms that the suggestion is the correct place, then all of the habitat information will be filled out from previous sessions. Plans to incorporate a search bar with predictive text will also make this process very simple.

Large chunk of code, and that's not all of it!

I plan on continuing to work on this project even beyond the walls of PC, because it has meant so much to me to have the opportunity. Being able to help put together someone else's vision by supplying the mechanics behind how it works is satisfying and I know that I am helping contribute to an area of study that needs more researchers backing it. 

So far my paper has reached 8 pages and probably have 2 more to go, but its a full write up on the system as it is intended to work. I am very happy with how it is turning out.

Anyway, I wish everyone good luck on their finals, and I hope that you all get to wrapping up your projects as you had hoped since the start!