28 years post the Department of Geography, University of the West Indies, Mona. In high school I was told that “real” education begins at the university level. This idea is debatable; however, what I know for sure was that my first degree in Geography and Social Sciences was an all-encompassing and apposite exposure to how the earth, its peoples and systems integrate, co-exist and evolve. It was a synthesis of a multiplicity of disciplines spanning three faculties – Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Arts and General Studies; and I have always wondered why, a BA degree, when my only courses in the Faculty of Arts and General Studies were university courses.

The Department of Geography then, was a melange of Caribbean students, and lecturers who were Geography mavens, which contributed to diverse and rich interactions inside and outside the labs. As students of Geography, “we” (members of a group known as the Three Musketeers) were quite pleased that we had practical “fun” exercises, and of course the memorable field trips. For example, the land surveying weekend at the Discovery Bay Marine lab. This field exercise had us using chains, plane tables, and levels, working late into dusk, keenly focused on ensuring that the angles and distances collected were accurate and the circuit closed.

Of note, class sizes were moderate and this, whether deliberately designed or not, contributed positively to my experience as it allowed for close student to student interactions and cooperative learning. Both lecturers and students got to know each other well, which contributed to learning, positive group dynamics and increased social perceptiveness. It is not surprising therefore that lifelong friendships were created. It would be remiss of me not mention the eccentricities of a few lecturers that had us in stiches with: – vivid tales of being caught in the eye of a hurricane on a ship in the Atlantic; quick witted explanations given for pictures of nude women falling from lecturer’s notes during lectures, having world statistics available at one’s fingertip and the agony of failing a test largely due to grammatical errors, such as failing to include the apostrophe in Student’s t Test, were ludicrous enough to add either tears or laughter to the student experience.

Levity aside, studying Geography shaped and moulded my understanding of social, economic, environmental and physical phenomena; it certainly has contributed to my ability to think critically, holistically and spatially. Also, the honing of my problem solving skills, to identify patterns and relationships, to inquire – why this happened, what are the causes and the effects, are skills of a geographer that I currently employ in my work. The study of Geography gave me a tool box of skills and competencies, and heightened dispositions including but not limited to: planning and research – both qualitative and quantitative, map reading and preparation, report writing, and importantly the need for accuracy and attention to detail. The summer weeks spent doing field work were priceless. They allowed for interactions with persons across all levels of the social spectrum, working in teams, being creative and inquisitive, learning not to accept no, but to approach the challenge from another perspective or asking the question another way. It was certainly not about learning by rote and memorizing capitals of countries or the longest river, as many perceive Geography.

The knowledge, tool box of skills and competences gained have conflated to hone my character, work ethic and values which I bring to my current position as a spatial scientist in the Statistics Division, in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United Nations. Notably, communication, respect for diversity, teamwork, planning and organizing, creativity, judgement and decision making are characteristics that were cultivated during my study of Geography, which also constitute some of the core values and competencies required of staff of the United Nations. I serve as a member of an inaugural team of three professionals responsible for setting the agenda for the development of global geospatial information and the promotion of its use to address key global challenges.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to study Geography at UWI, Mona and to have come full circle to the understanding that “real” education takes place at the university level. Congratulations to the members of staff of the Geography Department on its 50th anniversary, continue to shine and educate.

Cecille Blake

June 2016