Health Science Reviews

By Samantha Levetan

I’ll be honest – at times Honours has been stressful, overwhelming and pressurising.
I fought hard all year to stay focused, keep my head down and get the work done,
staying level-headed while pushing off a mental breakdown. Sacrificing sleep (which
I once swore to never do), social events and downtime pushed me to my limits. So
why do I describe it as one of the best things I’ve ever done?
Throughout my life I’ve felt uncertain about whether I was on the right career path.
Not knowing what I wanted to commit my entire career to at age 18, I registered for a
BSc simply because Biology was my favourite subject in high school.
The late nights slogging away at the Krebs cycle and attempting to solve integrals
(something I accepted I would never be great at), were challenging and had me
questioning my decisions more times than I could count. But I persevered through
the undergrad days, hoping that they would amount to something that would serve a
greater purpose, and it would all be worth it.
The challenges presented by my Honours year offered many opportunities to learn
and grow. They allowed me to prove to myself that I have the tools and the drive to
become a researcher, and they truly shaped the way I approach problems. For each
time I doubted myself, I somehow managed to pull off another assignment
submission or journal club presentation – and even feel like I did a pretty good job.
The imposter syndrome I’ve carried around with me, while still present some days,
has gotten a little less aggressive with each task I’ve proven to myself that I can
achieve.
Most importantly, my Honours year affirmed that I absolutely love what I do. How
could I complain about my work when it allows me to develop novel drugs that might
someday be used to treat sick people? Hearing about all the excellent research
conducted in the faculty and meeting the people behind it has been inspiring. My

eyes have certainly been opened to what excellent research looks like, and how
exciting and tangible its consequences can be.
To know that what I’m doing can make a difference to others is a deeply fulfilling
thought – one that I am blessed to be able to have. And yes, even only halfway
through the year, I can confidently say that learning integral calculus was absolutely
worth it.