Science, what is it good for? Absolutely something

Science, what is it good for? Absolutely something

I think like many science majors I have always enjoyed the sciences and the explanations and theories they offer. I originally started my collegiate career at BYU. I felt that the environment was too homogenous and that many people were there to compete with one another and not to actually learn.

I took a look at SUU after a year and it seemed like the kind of learning environment I was looking for. I transferred to SUU and signed up as an engineering major. I enjoyed the mathematics but once again felt like the type I was learning was interesting but it was the type that didn’t really “do it” for me. I then switched to be a biology major. I had never actually taken a biology course previous to college. However, I felt that after looking at the catalog that most of the courses would cover something of interest to me. I think most of all I have been fascinated with the anatomy and physiology of the human body. I think there is nothing more complex and yet simplistic about the workings of the human body. Each course I took instilled this belief in me a little more. As I took anatomy I learned what the structures were and what they did generally. As I took physiology I learned things at the microscopic level and how they affected the larger anatomical structures. Each subsequent class added more to my understanding, genetics, microbiology, and biochemistry have all opened up more understanding as well as more questions.

I used to think that all scientists did was go around practicing the scientific method and getting things right more often than not. I think that it is almost the opposite. I think that many scientists do practice the scientific method but many of the discoveries that have been made were either by accident or because they were wrong about something. I also have a very new appreciation for the title of scientist. I have always considered myself a scientist of sorts but I think after seeing how so many men and women have dedicated their life to discovering just one concept that is mentioned in my textbook I think that I have a new found appreciation for scientists and what they do. I really feel that these individuals or sometimes teams are incredibly intelligent and are addicted to solving unknown problems. After learning about so many necessary functions and mechanisms both biologically and chemically I have determined that I could not dedicate my entire life to studying and figuring out such mechanisms and processes.

I also used to think that scientists were these somewhat disheveled, scatterbrained geniuses. After interacting with some of my professors I still think this holds true sometimes, but I have also learned that there are many high functioning intelligent individuals who are normal and can carry on a conversation. I have developed several awesome relationships with professors which quite surprised me. I was however quite disappointed when I realized that most of what we have studied and discovered cannot be entirely proven, but in the same sense I also have a new found appreciate for the word theory. So many people in society say, “oh it’s just a theory” and now after understand what goes into each theory I want to educate each of them.

I think the most impactful part of my science education here at SUU will come in the next 10-15 years. I plan on applying to medical school in the summer and will obviously use my science background in various ways to not only survive medical school but to also use in helping treat patients. I think that overall majoring in a hard science such as a biology and minoring in chemistry helped me to learn how to learn. I think that there are many ways in which the education system can be improved but I feel that the science department has done a fantastic job of having me learn very complex systems that are usually written in acronyms and hard to read text. I feel that after having taken some difficult courses such as anatomy, physiology, organic chemistry, and biochemistry I have the ability to learn literally everything. Not literally in the way that white girls say it but literally anything. It might take me a very long time to wrap my mind around quantum physics or the theory of relativity but if I needed to learn those things I would be able to do so. I think this ability is the most valuable thing that I will take away. I could care less about getting the actual degree, the ability to look at a complex issue or problem and break it down piece by piece until it makes sense is priceless.

This ability to learn and comprehend most anything translates into more areas than just mathematics or science. I am involved in the designing and inventing of several products that I am about to patent. The ability to do this comes from my education here at SUU. Not in the sense that I learned how to patent and produce products while studying science but I gained the confidence to try new difficult things, even when people say that it is a waste of time or that it can’t be done.

I also think that this background in science will help me as I also choose to pursue another graduate degree. I plan on either completing and MBA or Masters of science and Engineering to aide me in my future endeavors. I feel confident that although I am not familiar with many of the subjects that I will be exposed to that I will not have an issue learning the concepts and topics. This basic foundation that I have developed will help me be able to learn in other fields of study and therefore be able to “communicate’ and speak the same language as businessmen, entrepreneurs, engineers, and artists. I feel that this degree in science is so much more than just science but really is like learning Latin. Latin is a dead language but most medical terminology, and languages such as Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian all use a Latin base. Sure maybe much of my science degree and knowledge isn’t incredibly useful in the real world as far as what I am planning to do but since I am planning on learning many other “languages” figuratively speaking I think that this science foundation will be a great central stepping stone to many other fields.

Thank you for this awesome class and opportunity to reflect upon my academic career.