During my first semester in college, I was mostly focused on finding ways of turning my research interests into a feasible research topic. My major at this time was International Relations and I was interested in studying methods of sustainability, natural disaster recovery, and global cultures.

 

I knew at this time that I wanted to focus my research somewhere outside of the US as it would give me great international experience to prepare me for a future career and would line up nicely with my major's requirement for studying (or researching) abroad. I listened to a podcast that discussed the massive population growth Africa is set to experience over the next few decades and the effects this might have on the natural environment. I felt this would be a great opportunity to connect my passion for sustainability because any large population growth needs to be supported by sustainable practices in order to conserve natural resources and protect the environment. 

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One possible topic that I came up with during this time but ultimately decided against was studying innovation in methods and practices of sustainability, specifically among younger populations. I chose not to pursue this topic because I felt it was a bit far off from what I really wanted to study, although it would have been an interesting research topic.