Geography

When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn in the Department of Geography? 

I attended Fall 2017-Spring 2018 as a study abroad student from Lancaster University in the UK. My degree from Lancaster was a first class honours BA Honours Human Geography (Study Abroad). My year in Florida counted towards half of my overall degree which was awarded by Lancaster.

What is your greatest memory from your time as a GeoGator? 

I really enjoyed being able to choose a variety of modules, though my focus was Human Geography I picked some classes that also included physical geography and other aspects. I remember making a board game in the Extreme Floods module and I can still recall some of the facts it contained even now! College in the USA is very different to the UK and the assessments are more varied (and dare I say fun!), so I’d say this is what I enjoyed the most – not just writing essays all the time but completing group projects, varying types of assessments and also varied ways of teaching from diverse faculty – my classes with Abe Goldman were so different to my classes with Nick Dowhaniuk – but it was so welcome. And of course the friends I made – catching up with Heidi is always a delight! 

How do you use what you learned at UF Geography in your life and career? 

These days I really enjoy travelling, and there are places I visit in the world now that I will never look or think about the same due to my time at UF. For example, I visited Amsterdam last year and I was fascinated by all the dykes and other features that I learned at UF in my Extreme Floods module. I completed a module on Urban and Business Geography and remember everyone did really interesting presentations on places like Quito, Madrid and Sydney etc, including the way the cities are constructed and the urban layout of them. I will never look at any place the same now I’ve studied at UF – It’s my mission to visit them all one day! 

In my career I think studying at UF really broadened my mind to think differently and problem solve – now I work at a telecommunications company acquiring consent to install our full fibre infrastructure on apartment blocks which you may not think is related to geography but I use daily the things I learned at UF! I took a housing class with Professor Golant and many of the issues raised by those I engage with in my work are issues I learned about (albeit in the context of the US) at UF. It all comes in handy somewhere – trust me! 

Do you have any other thoughts about education and professional life that you would like to share with current and/or prospective UF Geography students? 

If you’re thinking about geography, just do it! It’s not colouring in, flags and place names, it provides you with a different way of thinking, a different outlook on your daily life and broadens your horizons! It bridges the gap between the sciences and the humanities, and is extremely employable, even if you have to explain in most interviews what human geography is 😄 

Are there any websites or social media links you would like to share with the UF Geography alumni, students, faculty, and staff for networking purposes? 

 For networking, contact me on Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantal-adams-2396b8185/