My Biology Story
My biology story starts all the way back in freshman year of high school. As I was preparing to register for classes for my first year of high school, it was announced that my school would be removing Honors Biology and would only be offering AP Biology as an advanced option. My mom had me sign up for AP Biology and I was quite worried about it. I heard the class was extremely hard and the idea of taking a scientific AP class as a freshman was unsettling to me, yet I signed up for it anyways. Moving forward, the class was difficult but manageable until the first test came around. That test rocked my world and made me realize that classes would not always be as easy as they had been in the past. Yet, I stayed in the class and made it a goal to get an A and a 5 on the AP exam at the end of the year. By the end of the year, I had achieved both goals and grown a fondness for biology. I found biology to be highly interesting as it is quite literally the study of life and why organisms are built the way that they are. As I continued through high school, I kept this enjoyment of biology alive and didn’t find the same joy with my other classes. Consequently, I applied as a molecular biology major when it came time to submit my application to Berkeley. Now, I’ll admit, it was pretty rough for me at first when I started on the molecular and cell biology (MCB) major track at Berkeley. My math classes were difficult, my first organic chemistry class was not amazing and I struggled with the introductory biology course my sophomore year. Together, these classes and shortcomings made me doubt my capabilities within the biological field and even sparked ideas of changing my major out of the field completely. However, these setbacks reminded me of my time in high school with my AP biology class and I knew I would be able to succeed at Berkeley just like I had in high school. So, I decided to stay within MCB and work harder to maintain my personal standards that I had set for myself while also enjoying what I studied. I’m happy to say that I have maintained a strong standing and still enjoy learning about biology. I now want to tell you about some of my key moments within my journey that helped me solidify my decision to continue as a biology major.
Changing my Major…Kind Of
It is quite common for people to change their major when they get into college and progress through their classes – I almost did it. While I did not technically change my major, I did decide to change my track within my major. The way the MCB major works is there are six different emphases: biochemistry and molecular biology; cell and developmental biology; genetics, genomics and development; immunology and pathogenesis; neurobiology; and molecular therapeutics. I started within the neurobiology emphasis as my main biological interest lies within memory disorders and aging brain disorders in general. Yet, during my junior year of college, the molecular therapeutics emphasis was created and it offered me two opportunities: the ability to pick up a minor and a more broader scope of use within the biological industry. This change helped me feel more secure in biology while also allowing me to engage my other interests through my minor. This change breathed new life into my plans and my desire to engage in biology.
Research Lab Volunteering and the SURF-Rose Hills Fellowship
Since my freshman spring semester, I have worked in a research lab assisting a PhD candidate with his research. This work has been crucial to my biological journey as it allowed me to understand what type of work I like and dislike within biology. For example, I initially intended on trying to pursue a PhD sometime after graduating, but now I am not as sure and have pushed that idea off to the backburner at the moment; it is still something I can see myself doing in the future but I want to try other things first. My time as a SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) fellow also made me realize that I want to try research outside of academia before deciding on a set path for my future. Both of these experiences were amazing and provided me with essential skills for the biological field while also informing my decisions on where I want to go next career-wise. With that said, I’m looking forward to applying and hopefully securing a job within the biotechnology field and will hopefully work for a company that conducts research on brain disease or age-related diseases.
Friends and Organizations
Through my years as a Berkeley student, I became friends with some of my classmates and joined biology-related clubs which helped me form a community within the field. Some of my best friends at Berkeley were people who I met in my classes for my major (one of them is actually my lab partner from my first semester, though we didn’t become good friends until a year later). Also, I joined Phi Chi Pre-Health Fraternity my sophomore spring semester, providing me with a larger community within the biological field to reach out to for support and community. This sense of community is important to me because it is always nicer to have friends in class for study support and social support – it’s always nicer to be in lecture with a friend than sitting alone. All my friends inspire me with their passion and make me strive to be better, creating a sense of mutual upliftment within biology.
Overall, my journey within biology has not been perfect and without struggles, but it is one that led me to where I am today and keeps me excited about what the future may hold.