With a background in Adventure studies before starting this program, having the mentality of studying multiple disciplines was already apparent to me. In the program, we got a base knowledge in all different types of adventure activities from the ocean Sea kayaking all the way to the tops to mountains climbing. This was to give us a well-rounded knowledge of the entire industry and give us transferable skills to be able to work with different adventure disciplines when we started working in our specific field.

Interdisciplinary studies works toward the same idea, being able to study and work with multiple disciplines to be able to achieve a common goal or solve a complex problem. This way of thinking not only allows different perspectives to tackle a problem for different angles but also integrates them to come up with better ways of solving the problem all together. For myself, this was one of the most enticing aspects of conducting interdisciplinary studies.

Not being restrained by one way of thinking also allows for new insights on problems that may not have been apparent the first time that subject was studied. Due to bias, lack of another disciplines knowledge, or restraints on research method, doing research from one discipline can lead to an answer that does not fully solve the question. Having a program that encourages this ‘thinking outside of the box’ way of doing research will lead to answers that are more complete.

The final point on interdisciplinary studies I have is that it allows you to follow questions that truly interests you. Being able to pursue studies with passion leads to better research since the researcher is more invested and excited about their project. I know this is definitely true for me, being able to ‘stand outside of the box’ in my studies has been the correct choice for my university degree.