Lab 2b: Schools Affected By Noise

My first ArcMap experience was neither the smoothest nor the roughest. It never occurred to me that an ArcMap had so much potential apart from displaying map features. By completing this assignment, I learned how to create many layers of information by using all kinds of data in the forms of tables and graphs. This experience made me even more aware of the fact that there is so much in this new world of technology that I do not know about.

The most confusing part of following the tutorial was saving my information correctly. I have never had very much experience with moving files to different drives and putting them under different drive names. I had to always make sure to ignore the tutorial directions that asked me to save my information in the C: drive. When transferring and saving my files to the D: drive, I made a mistake of not making a separate folder for this particular lab and kept saving everything under the folder “Map.” I was nervous and stressed about making sure that the files were constantly being saved in the right spot.

The directions on the tutorial were easy to follow in the beginning. After about page 18 of the tutorial, things started to get more complicated and there was a lot of information to take in at once. There were many new features and terms that I had never toyed with before and I was constantly afraid that I had not clicked on the right button or typed in the wrong information. Luckily, due to the slow rate I was working at, I very seldom misclicked or mistyped. In addition, I also noticed that no matter how carefully and closely I followed the instructions, my maps were never going to be identical to the ones used as models from the books without doing further adjustments of my own (zooming, moving, etc).

At the beginning, I just followed the directions carefully without thinking very much about the purpose. It was only when I went back and reviewed the tutorial that I was able to analyze and understand the different layers and each of their purposes when locating schools near the airport and which ones are affected by noise from the airport. Overall, it was fascinating to see how such a simple concept of locating schools can branch out into such an array of layers, data, tables, and graphs; all embedded into what seems to be a simple map of schools and an airport. Arc Maps have great potential when it comes to building and constructing schools near noisy areas such as airports in this case; they help to prevent future complaints from school officials, teachers, parents, and students.