Throughout the process of conducting my research, I enjoyed conducting primary research and found that it was interesting to learn the habits of my BCM212 peers, and how they differ from me. There is something fascinating about hearing what people eat for breakfast! I conducted a survey, and though I only recieved 24 responses, I feel that I got a very wide range of opinions and answers to my questions.
During the pandemic and the strange year it has been, I found my motivation levels at an all time low, leaving things to the very last minute and not even stressing out. I put a lot of time and effort into my project management plan for this subject, and recieved a result I was super happy with, however now on reflection I wish I had carried out my research as well as I thought I was going to on completion of that task.
A challenge that presented itself to me was the lack of secondary research relating to my topic. I think it’s because I chose quite a succinct topic, relating diet to motivation and study habits, something that definitely has been done, but not necessarily about the actual food that is being eaten, more the diet in general (vegetarian, keto, fasting etc.) I did manage to find a lot of information about actual brain function in relation to food groups and nutrition, however most of these dated back to the early 2000s!
Overall, I did enjoy BCM212, I loved filling out other’s surveys and hearing responses to my own questions, I felt like it brang our cohort closer together at a time where we couldn’t be together physically. Online learning has been a challenge, but this subject has been the only one that has had a seamless transition from on-campus classes, which has made the process of this research task all the more enjoyable.
I believe there is still a lot more to learn about eating habits among students, I have found myself thinking about how the food I eat affects my motivation and work ethic, which I think is a very important mindset for a researcher to adopt. The topic holds important implications for students, and provokes thought as to the way what they put in their mouth impacts upon the way their brain functions.
Thanks BCM212!!
Elly Moore 