Health Science Reviews

By Buntu Mlonyeni

My year as a Bioinformatics Honours student at UCT has been an incredible journey of discovery and personal growth. From the excitement of exploring cutting-edge computational biology to the satisfaction of seeing my research take shape, this experience has deepened both my technical skills and my passion for the field. What began as a new academic challenge quickly transformed into an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to health sciences while forming valuable connections with peers and mentors.

One of my biggest hurdles was to balance coursework with my research project.  Being new to the whole research and coursework schedule did feel like getting pulled in too many directions. But through structured planning, mentorship from my supervisor and support from my peers, I was able to develop strategies that helped me stay organized and focused. 

There are times where I felt overwhelmed, especially when juggling tight deadlines or troubleshooting errors in my code. However, these moments taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of asking for help when needed. These moments taught me to embrace the struggle and celebrate the small victories. I remember when I finally understood how machine learning models correctly classify images and how complex algorithms work. The euphoria from the realization made all those challenges worth it. My research became a source of pride. What started as a daunting task evolved into something I genuinely enjoyed. Seeing my work contribute to a real scientific question, even in a small way, was incredibly rewarding.

I’m grateful for the support I received: Lecturers who took the time to clarify concepts, classmates who became collaborators, and the quiet encouragement of seeing my own progress. This journey thus far has taught me that growth happens outside of comfort zones. The struggles you face shouldn’t break you but shape you into a capable scientist one day.

As a Bioinformatics student, I have also learnt that Bioinformatics isn’t just about coding or biology, it’s also about problem-solving with purpose and that’s a journey worth taking.