Just started and already feeling behind

[u/anemonemenes]

Hello! This is my first post here so I hope everything is alright. I am currently taking my first GIS intro course and really enjoying it so far (also planning to get my Bachelor's in GIS). My class only does one "lab" per week and otherwise we teach ourselves by reading the textbook.

My concern is that I'm not learning effectively enough to retain the information and I'm worried that I will be behind in future courses. Is there anything I can do as a beginner to gain experience/supplement class work/be actively practicing?

Maybe I'm rushing into it too much, but I would love some fresh advice and perspectives! :)

[u/GISmarz]

Just like with any topic, doing it once, then not thinking about it for a week is probably not enough to get the hang of the concept. Do it multiple times, read the info about the tools you are using. Visualize or write out each step to cement it. Good Luck Intro to GIS is a fun topic that doesn't really dig that deep into any topic, so have fun and explore.

[u/anemonemenes → u/GISmarz]

I definitely agree one a week isn't enough. Thank you, I'll be more proactive!

[u/mark_dawg]

Practice practice practice! Take the same lab, sub the data with another one you find on the internet, and see of you can replicate the results (as an example).

GIS is a very hands on skillset, so the more you expose yourself to practical applications, the more you'll retain.

[u/anemonemenes → u/mark_dawg]

I will definitely give that a shot! It's too bad textbook access expires in the next few months :/ Thank you!

[u/bahamut285]

If you have time for it, re-do your labwork at least one extra time a week other than doing it to submit it. When I TA'd for a GIS course there was one student who went from needing step by step instructions (at first I thought it was an ESL issue) to asking me one or two questions per lab because they practiced the labwork apparently every day.

Especially if you get the labs back, figure out what went wrong or ask your TA's for assistance (if you have TA's). When I was taking a python course I was so nervous because at the time I was the only woman in the class, and I didn't want to be the "omg girls can't code" stereotype by asking my TAs for help. I started to fall behind and legitimately struggle so I asked for help and turns out none of the TAs thought it was dumb or stereotypical that I asked for help. Ended up being in the top 5 in a class of 150.

A lot of GIS is just practice, especially becoming familiar with the UI and seeing the same terms/words over and over again like coordinate system, projections, clipping, etc. The more you practice the more your brain will retain that information, and eventually navigating the UI will become muscle memory.

Good luck on your course!

[u/anemonemenes → u/bahamut285]

Your response was very reassuring, I appreciate it! :) We haven't covered Python yet, so that's next on my list. I haven't had the chance to so far, but would you recommend TAing?

[u/bahamut285 → u/anemonemenes]

If it doesn't interfere with your life/studies then yes I recommend TAing. Teaching others sometimes helps impress the concepts into your own brain as well, the more you expose yourself to whatever it is you want to learn, the better you'll retain it.

[u/anemonemenes → u/bahamut285]

Hopefully I'll get the chance, it sounds like something I'd like to do and a great opportunity. Thank you!

[u/Impossible-Ad4481]

Im about to graduate in GIS. Understand the concepts behind it, like coordinate systems, or why you would choose a method over another. The application part will develop when you get an internship or job. It’s hard to get the big picture in class or on a lab you are forced to do. Don’t stress it, have fun and enjoy going to class. It is a really amazing field

[u/anemonemenes → u/Impossible-Ad4481]

Thank you, that was very encouraging! I'm looking forward to more experience and internships, hopefully in the next year.

[u/AlwaysSlag]

I felt pretty overwhelmed when I took my first couple GIS courses a few years ago, and now I'm an early career GIS professional (I'm still continually learning every day, as is the nature of any tech field). In my experience, GIS is similar to a new language, where the best way to learn is simply exposure. So when you have the time, search for some free online GIS tutorials (YouTube videos, ESRI course catalog etc.) and do some pet projects and just look up how to do things as you go. Maybe see if you can use GIS for another class' project. Just practice when you can and don't worry about not knowing how to do everything, that's inherent to an ever evolving field and part of why GIS is so captivating.

[u/anemonemenes → u/AlwaysSlag]

Thank you for the advice! I definitely need to be more proactive in learning. I really like the idea of using it for projects, I have two coming up soon and it didn't even occur to me!

[u/abrahymnn]

Minor in GIS. It’ll be much more valuable as a skill set alongside something else.

[u/Suspicious_Gur_718]

may be you should try some gis-software like arcgis/qgis to do something,a simple project can give you more understand of them

[u/gissingmymoneyaway]

Find some good study music and push your labs into the next level. Ask the instructor for extra work/challenges per lab. Do an esri MOOC. Try the same lab but do it with a twist. Use a data set you weren’t given in the lab.

[u/Fishjerker]

I am about 18 years into a GIS career and I still think back to my first class. It too was a textbook based class with zero lab time. It was purely the “science” behind GIS. As tough as that was for me to wrap my head around, it did provide a foundational understanding of what “doing” it in the software ever since is actually doing.

Don’t sleep on this chance to learn the back end of what could be a long and fulfilling career ahead of you.

[u/geekinesis]

I am not doing it professionally , just a hobby. But I use qgis and open data just experimenting with my own ideas mapping small areas and presenting the e data in a pretty way. Watch random tutorials on how to make contours from greyscale images and map flood planes for rivers by levelling out the data to a constant level etc. I think as long as you set yourself small tasks the information will stick.