Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve made steady progress with my online Python course — much more than I initially expected. At first, I approached it as something I simply had to get through in order to feel somewhat prepared. But as I moved forward, I found myself enjoying it. There’s something satisfying about writing a bit of code and seeing it work, especially when it helps make sense of a problem. I’m far from an expert, but I’ve learned a lot, and I hope some of it will come in handy once I start working on my research project.

On the administrative side, I believe I’ve finally reached the end of the paperwork phase. It was more extensive than I had anticipated — forms, confirmations, signatures — but it’s all sorted out now, and I can focus more on the academic and personal side of getting ready.

I also finished reading The Great Gatsby, which we were all asked to read ahead of the program. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I genuinely enjoyed it. It’s beautifully written, and it’s the kind of story that lingers in your thoughts after you’ve put it down. I’m glad it was included as part of the preparation — I imagine it’ll make for some interesting conversations during the first week.

Finally, I now have a better sense of what my research project will involve. I’ve been placed in a lab that studies human behavior — specifically, how we direct our attention and why we sometimes fail to notice things that are right in front of us. The topic is something I’ve never worked on before, which makes it all the more intriguing. I’ll share more about it once the program begins and I’ve had a chance to get involved firsthand.

More soon,

Aliocha Faurisson