Szymon Mol

Current position/affiliation: Geology student at Jagiellonian University, Cracow

The Meaning of Geography to Me

Geography is a mindset of being passionate about the world, especially about the so-called
geographical environment i.e. natural environment (which belongs to physical geography)
and human existence in this environment (which belongs to socioeconomic geography).
Geographer is a person who makes observations about geographical environment, finds
connections between different parts of it, tries to explain various processes or phenomena
and draws conclusions which eventually can be useful for society. Geographer takes
satisfaction from the exploration of the world regardless the method. It could be doing
fieldwork as well as reading a textbook.

Impact of iGeo Preparation on my Life

I was not educated in English and I am from the country where geography is treated in a
specific way. The education in Poland focuses on different aspects than iGeo tasks e.g.
studying more facts than processes and interactions. It has less elements of “geographical
thinking” than typical international olympiad.
Preparation for iGeo was a great opportunity to broaden horizons and see how geography is
taught in different areas of the world. I studied geography from foreign books, which
showed me how to look on things from various perspectives. I gained skills of analysis,
critical thinking and formulating clear sentences which have proven to be useful in my
studies and scientific projects.
Personally, participation in iGeo was meaningful for my linguistic development. By being
constantly exposed to English (which is not my first language), I managed to reach a

satisfactory level of fluency. The ability to understand complex texts in English is very
helpful during my studies, because I need to read scientific articles published in
international journals.
iGeo success was very important advantage in my university application process. It led me
to be given a generous scholarship.

Ideas for Promoting Geography

I think it is important to present how geography can have an impact on society: urban
planning, sustainability, conservation of nature, etc. I have recently seen a poster which
shows how geosciences are crucial in UNESCO 2030 Sustainability Goals and the conclusion
was that in every one of them there is something connected to geosciences. Maybe it could
be possible to do something similar for geography.