Health Science Reviews

by Lola Lee

Entering a new academic space was a daunting experience. I kept thinking to myself how on earth I was somehow going to go from an undergraduate to being a fully capable and knowledgeable scientist. The thought alone could make me undermine myself to a point where I doubted this was the environment I was meant to be in. To make matters worse, I was entering a stream where only 3 students were selected. This once again caused a whole new wave of anxiety around needing to outperform my previous achievements even further. I was preparing myself for the worst pressure I had ever felt and a soul-crushing year full of assignments and work. Little did I know, I would be entering a year full of self-discovery and newfound passions.

Honors is like no other year I have ever experienced. Not only are you allowed to fuel your own passions, but you are guided through the experience to reach your full potential. I have been given time to find out what I want to do while being given the advice of those within the field who are just as passionate about the sciences. It was no longer the feeling of me vs everyone else in the year but rather discovering all this incredible knowledge together to better advance the field as a whole. What I thought would feel like a crippling year of seeing just how much I don’t know turned into an eye-opening experience of what I could potentially find out.

Yes, there are a lot of papers to read and a lot of learning for modules, but I took it as a means to enhance what I could potentially do in the field. Of course, there were breakdowns and tears, but once the work had been put in, the reward of realizing I am capable of contributing to the field is a feeling I am proud of. I have now discovered what a collaborative environment the science field is, where there is always an interdisciplinary approach, and everyone is willing to help and give advice to each other.

I think one of the most important things I have learnt this year is to not take everything surrounding marks so seriously, but rather enjoy the experiences instead. A lot of undergrad is about learning work off by heart and producing a result on how well you can apply it, whereas honours enables you to take what you have learnt and see how it can be used in real life. Having support around you is also crucial to tolerate the moments when you feel stressed. I’ve relied on friends and family to help put things into perspective.

The greatest thing about this year is that my entire mindset has changed regarding work. It is no longer a daunting thought of “oh no, more complicated content I will have to try to understand,” but rather one of awe and excitement to discover just how incredible the field of science is, and that you don’t have to know everything, as there are others who are willing to work with you.

So if there is one thing I can leave you with, it is this: You are not here to understand every detail and change the world alone, but you are capable of taking what is around you and using it to discover just how much potential you have to advance the field no matter how small the contribution.

This year has changed my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful.