Educational Goals
With my B.S. degree in Meteorology I will have a strong foundation in the understanding of many atmospheric processes and the tools with which to study them. I will have knowledge of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere on a global scale as well as a local scale. I will understand the tools used to measure atmospheric changes, and the ability to use these values, along with computer models, to give forecasts for future events. I will have the communication skill required to pass these forecasts on to others.
One of the main points in understanding the atmosphere is understanding the physics behind it. Using the knowledge I have obtained in my classical physics classes, combined with the in depth look into atmospheric dynamics, I have a strong background in the way the atmosphere changes, and what effects those changes have on day to day weather. With calculus, I gain the ability to solve the difficult equations needed to compute these changes. An introduction into computer programming gives me a basis on understanding how the forecasting models work, and how to better use them for myself.
Considering all of these abilities I must be able to perform when I finish my degree, I have set out these goals for my performance at Iowa State University. I want to graduate with at least a 3.5 overall GPA. I also want to have at least a 3.75 GPA for the courses that are complementary to my Meteorology Major, i.e. calculus, physics, etc. For my meteorology classes, I'm going to be even harder on myself and set a 3.8 GPA goal. I feel that these gradepoint goals are very reasonable, since the complementary and meteorology courses are more important for my future in meteorology. I have also decided to take Math 307 Matrices and Linear Algebra and possibly Math 385 Partial Differential Equations, to prepare myself for graduate school.