Closing thoughts.

This class is coming to an end, and although I'm excited for the summer, I also feel a little sad. 20.109 was a lot of fun. Coming into lab every week and running actual experiments was such a nice change from traditional lectures. I feel like I know so much more about research, working in a team, and the field of biological engineering in general. And science writing of course.

Science speaking too. The research proposal was definitely a lot more fun than the journal club presentation. I've noticed that the more I do public speaking, the better I get at it. But the anxiety never goes away. Especially the 10 minutes up to the presentation when my heart starts pounding so hard I can barely hear anything else. Surprisingly, it ebbs away the second I start speaking. When I can get into the material and focus on delivering the message to the audience.

The research proposal was definitely a lot easier than journal club. I felt like I knew what I was talking about a lot better, and more importantly, I wanted to talk about it. The research proposal really let me dive into an issue I cared about. Thinking about a solution via biological engineering was rewarding intellectually and emotionally. It got me thinking about all the other issues that could be solved using life itself. All the applications, all the possibilities. It's mind blowing. I have a bunch of new ideas and I've never felt more excited about grad school.

I'm grateful to this class for teaching me so much about the field. For helping me realize that this is something I want to spend the rest of my life doing. Leslie, Noreen and Catherine - thank you so much.  For having so much patience. For answering our endless emails. For being so kind and helpful. You guys are such an integral part of the 20.109 experience and one of the main reasons I love the class so much. 

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