General Thoughts

At the end of our class on Wednesday, we went around the room and all shared one thing that we have learned from this class. There were a variety of different answers and it seemed as if almost everyone had something unique they were going to take from the class. The varied answers that were given by the class led me to start to think about the many different fields of study that correspond to some of the themes of the class. When looking back at my notes and the syllabus with all of the different readings, it became clear that the things I learned from this class can be applied to everything. Knowing specific network effects makes someone think more about their connections and how they will connect with the others around them. Since the start of this class I have found myself to think more about the possible effect of making a connection with a certain person or group. It is not something to obsess over, but it can certainly be helpful to think about.

The themes of this class can also be applied to any field of study. Knowledge on networks can be relevant in business, engineering, healthcare, politics, and many other areas. This was reflected in our syllabus as we had readings from a variety of different fields. When I first signed up for the class I didn’t expect to be reading a book about bees, but I found the book to be both interesting and useful. I think the interdisciplinary aspect of the class and network study in general is very beneficial. No matter what job I have, I feel I will be able to apply the themes of this class in some way. Having said that, I think society could benefit if more people had a basic understanding of networks. For example, politics on every level could be more efficient and balanced if more people understood some of the themes of the class. People could also be mentally and physically healthier if they knew the effect that people in their network had on them.