Health Science Reviews

By Dana Chiles

“Red light, green light” was a game my mom and I would play after every day in primary school. I’d run over and she would ask “How was your day? What was your red and green light?”. So, I thought I would play it today with you. Your “red light” is a bad experience you’ve had; your “green light” is a good experience you’ve had; and just for fun we will throw in “yellow light” which is something you are looking forward to. I’ll start!

My red light has been the sheer amount of work I have had to grapple with since starting Honours. Every time I think I am close to finishing; new work manages to pop up. While it has been challenging to manage all the work I get assigned, it has also taught me how manage my time, prioritize and the importance of taking a break when I need to. While Honours has been difficult (just like everyone said it would be), I know I can do it! And every assignment I submit, presentation I give, and test I write, I know I am one step closer to achieving my goal.

My green light has been meeting so many new people. This course has exposed me to a range of people from young scientists like me who are beginning their careers in research to experts in their fields. This course has surrounded me with like-minded individuals, all with such different backgrounds yet who are also weirdly intrigued by infectious diseases. I was placed in a lab perfectly suited to my passion. And to have been given the opportunity to learn from so many accomplished people has been so inspiring and driven me to work harder and do better.

My yellow light is reaching the end of this year, knowing that I accomplished something I found so challenging yet so rewarding. I have already seen how much my lab techniques have improved; how my reading and understanding of scientific papers has changed; and how I grapple with problems during lectures, lab-work and in life has evolved. I look forward to seeing how these aspects of myself evolve as I close my Honours chapter and begin my next chapter in my scientific career.

I can’t wait to see how my red light, green light and yellow light will change come the end of the year!