It’s weird to think that I’m about to finish my final fall semester as a student at UC Berkeley. I mean, thinking back on it, freshman year does not feel that long ago. I remember moving into my triple mini-suite dorm room in Slottman Hall at Unit 1 and being so scared but excited for this new chapter in my life. I looked forward to attending a top university for so long and I finally made it. Freshman year was such an incredible time with all the new experiences I lived and the people I met. Moving into my second year, I took on leadership roles in a few clubs which gave me a true learning experience that impacted how I saw the world and those around me. I tried new things and even joined a professional fraternity, something I never expected to happen prior to college. Junior year was a relaxing year of doing relatively nothing new. I took on a new role in my job and enjoyed the fall semester as normal. Then, in the spring semester, I went abroad and studied at the University of Sydney in Australia (which I highly recommend to anyone interested in studying abroad) and grew immensely as a person. Alas, it’s senior year and it is time for me to start thinking about my next chapter beyond Berkeley. I’m going to walk you through some of the thoughts of a senior Berkeley student, hopefully providing guidance and comfort.
To be fully honest, I have no clue where I’ll be next year or what I’ll be doing. As a brief background, I am a molecular and cell biology (MCB) major with an emphasis in molecular therapeutics. When I first started at Berkeley, I thought I would pursue academia and eventually enroll in a PhD program following graduation, but my interests have changed. I still am fascinated by biology and the idea of making new discoveries in neurodegenerative disease therapeutics, but I realized I need time away from academia to see what else is out there. I’m currently playing with the idea of applying for jobs in the biotech and biopharma industries because that still achieves the dream that I had while also allowing me to test out the industry sector opposed to academia. However, I can’t apply for these roles yet as they tend to hire a few months in advance opposed to a year in advance; the job market is also pretty scarce for those who only hold a Bachelor’s degree, making the process all the more difficult. Hence, I’m in a state of limbo at the moment. In the end, we’ll see what becomes of this prospect in time, but I’m enjoying the time I have to focus on my school work and spending time with friends.
Beyond biology, my interests lie within public policy, law and politics. At the beginning of my junior year, I picked up a minor in public policy and made the effort to start and finish the minor during my final year. Through my minor, I’m opening myself up to the public sector and potentially working in a field that works in or with the government. All of my public policy courses have challenged me to think critically about problems that affect peoples’ everyday lives and develop potential solutions. Additionally, the idea of practicing law is something that is beginning to spark my interest and a pathway that I’ve been contemplating for a while. Thus, I applied for a few fellowships within policy work – hopefully I land one! While I still don’t know how public policy will affect my future career goals, I’m intrigued to see where it will take me.