Life in the Herd

The benefits of undergraduate research

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College is so much more dynamic than high school. Not only are there classes and organizations, but also friendships from across the nation and opportunities that you never could have imagined in high school. I have spoken about undergraduate research several times in my blogs. This week is when all of my hard work gives something back to me.

I am currently working on a project about the protein albumin. This week I have to put together two posters to present at research conferences. The first is to present at a national conference in Chicago, IL. What is awesome is the fact that Marshall takes care of the bill. The second will be a combined poster with another student to present at a statewide undergraduate conference.

So why go to these geek conferences? Because it’s cool! I have the opportunity to see the newest innovations in the fields of analytical instruments. I get to meet professionals in my field and get the chance to meet graduate programs that I can apply to attend next year.

Putting together a poster can be very stressful. You have to have all your data from your work and know both the theory and your applications. Then you have to present your work in a manner that is understandable and be prepared for any question under the sun.

Unlucky 13 or is it?

Some time back I was talked into working on putting together a 5k Run/Walk to support a new scholarship. I was given the task of applying for university funding which entails putting together a 4 page proposal and submitting it to the Student Government Association for approval, as well as leading the event sponsors/donation search. Basically, I am in charge of getting as much money/donations as possible for this event so that it will be a success. This is a lot to do but at the same time, it is a nice change from my normal laboratory work and studying.

I have to admit this is one of the things I love most about college.  You are encouraged to not focus solely on your little field that you want for your career. I have friends in all the different colleges of the university with all different backgrounds and expertise. Sometimes I think I learn just as much from my experiences outside of class as the information I learn inside the lecture halls. This is a slightly awkward feeling. Why do I really need to go to classes if I can learn more elsewhere? This question has passed through my mind many times. What I have realized is that the two ways of learning are truly complementary.  For example, my classes have made me a better grant writer, which I applied to the application for funding for this 5k Run/Walk; while my experiences outside classes have shown me real life applications of the theories that I am learning in lectures.

A few days ago I searched through my documents on my computer for a letter I wrote in high school, nearly four years ago. Looking at the letter, I realized that I could recognize myself in the letter by little bits of my writing style, but for the most part I have changed significantly. College, as a whole, has given me a more refined perspective and precise methods of expressing myself.  Its really amazing how different I am from just four years ago. I look back and I realize that I would not change one thing about my college career or where I have experienced it. I love Marshall and it has helped me develop into the person I want to become.

Today is Friday, the 13th. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I’m sorry but does it not seem weird for people to be sending flowers to their loved ones on this “unlucky” day? As it Valentine’s Day in just a few hours, I would like to mention a little about relationships. Right now I am in the process of applying to graduate programs across the better part of the east coast. This is becoming very stressful for my boyfriend and myself because we do not know where each of us will be next year. Unfortunately this seems all to familiar to high school relationships at the end of senior year. There are so many questions and worries about school and if both of us can go to the same place. Or even worse, what happens if we do not.

The only advise I can give is what I am following right now. Love is strong, but achieving your dreams is  a difficult path to travel. When you make your final decision, stand by it. Do not second guess yourself because it is pointless to try to change the past. Do what you truly feel is the right thing to do.  Enjoy your time together and take the future as it comes.

As for planning schools, sit down with your boyfriend/girlfriend and discuss where each of you want to go to school and see if any of them match.  Apply to the schools that you want to go to even in your craziest imaginations. Then when all the insane admissions dust has settled, figure out what is the right fit for you.  Picking a school that you do not like just to follow a boyfriend/girlfriend is a bad idea. You really have to be excited and want to be at the institution that you choose, because it is only then that you will succeed in your studies. No matter what happens, I really believe that if a relationship is meant to last it will.

Everything we experience makes us stronger individuals. Life is not for watching on the sidewalk. You have to go tangle with the traffic to be able to go anywhere.  Do not be scared of the future, be mindful of the past, and live in the present.

Test Week

It always seems to me that my professors try to see how closely they can pack their tests together. This week I had 3 tests in two days, and they were killers. I am so ready for a weekend to relax and not crack a book.

I do not know if you have ever experienced “senioritis”, but it pretty much sucks. The symptoms include: lack of interest in classes, lack of interest in homework, failure to study for exams, and pretty much intellectual brain rot. People most susceptible to this terrible disease are high school and college seniors who are preparing to graduate and move on to the next part of their lives. Feelings of longing for the end of the school year and yearning to begin college/grad school/making money are common.  Treatment is quite commonly ineffective and the disease seems to cure itself after the graduation ceremony.

I am finding it extremely difficult to take my classes seriously and study for them. This is a very bad thing because even if I do not study, tests still occur, and they do not care whether I am a graduating senior or freshman.  Somehow I made myself study about 3 hours for each of my tests this week. I know I passed them, but I can’t guarantee any A’s. Most professors are pretty fast about returning tests and some even post grades on your online account, so hopefully I will get some results soon.

Right now I am just really excited about going to a local concert this evening. This is going to sound extremely geeky, but whatever. One of the mathematics faculty is the lead singer of a band who is playing tonight along with several other local talents close to campus. Its hopefully going to be an enjoyable night of listening to a variety of music and letting go of all the stress from the tests this week.

Now last night was fun. I went to a musical sponsored by the Marshall Artist Series (which means its free for full time students). Sweeney Todd. It was a very good performance where each of the actors on stage not only sang and acted but also played instruments. So literally the entire show was performed by the 10 people on stage. It was really cool. I was sitting about half way back in the orchestra and had an excellent view of the show. The nice thing about the Marshall artist series is that students can get tickets anywhere in the theater for free, so sometimes you can get lucky and be 2 rows back. Its all first come first serve and  just another example of the many things you can do around campus.

SNOW

I have lived in Huntington, WV, all of my life, and I can count the times that we have had major snow storms probably on one hand. It always seems like the system will pass 30 miles north or south of us and leave Huntington with a dusting, if we are lucky. (Apparently it has something to do with the rivers and the industrial refinery at the West Virginia/ Kentucky boarder.)  But this week was different. It was so different that Marshall did not have classes for the better part of two days! RARE! On Tuesday morning, a wonderful winter storm blanketed the region with several inches of snow in about 2 hours. The roads were terrible. So Marshall canceled all classes for the day.

At this point I must make a comment about the emergency texting system. Marshall has an automated system that notifies students of pertinent information through a text in addition to email and web pages. This is really handy when something happens on campus like a fire or evacuation because of a water leak.  Tuesday morning, I received a message at 5:50 telling me that classes were canceled. Now this is all great and good because I know knew I do not have class, but why not wait till a little later in the morning to send out the text messages? I’m sorry, but how many self-respecting college students are up at 5:50 am? Maybe the athletes, maybe. Anyways, I read the message, turned off my 8:45 alarm and went back to sleep.

Now if you are wondering, snow days in college are just as fun as they were when you were a kid. There are snowball fights and snowmen all decked out. Signs of sledding are widespread. And if you are lucky enough to have a couple of friends who know the local area and have a snow capable car, you can really have some high speed sledding. Nothing is better than riding down the side of a hill in the snow instead of listening to a professor lecture on the different types of cells in the body.

But all good snow eventually melts, and classes resumed on Thursday. For me, the worst part of having a couple of unexpected days off is forcing yourself to go back to class. Its so tempting to stay in bed again and not get up. But somehow you do and classes continue exactly where you left off. However, everyone seemed to be slightly refreshed from the all the fun in the snow!

Overall, this week was a lot of fun and one of those college experiences that I hope I never forget!

Beginning Classes

This is the start of my eighth and final semester here at Marshall University, and I can attest this week was the first time that I felt like the start of classes was just another normal week of classes. I think that means its time for me to go.

You don’t realize what all you take advantage of when you are on campus, until you are on a break and you find that all your friends are now scattered across West Virginia and the rest of the United States. It’s nice to be back where I can call someone and we can hang out 5 minutes later.

Also Huntington celebrates when classes start again as well. On Friday night I ventured out to a local establishment to see a Math instructor play with his band. I was surprised by how good they were as well as the other groups that performed that night. What was awesome was the fact that I was able to enjoy about 3-4 hours of entertainment for $5 and be within walking distance of campus.

This week has also seen the coldest couple of days that I have seen in Huntington in quite a while. The temperature stayed in the teens for almost two whole days, which is VERY rare here. The cold weather made me really appreciate the compactness of the campus and the fact that most of my classes are in two adjacent buildings.

As I go to each of my classes, I tell myself that it is only a couple of months until graduation and a short summer vacation. I can’t wait!

Finals- The good and the really bad

I remember my first semester here and how much I dreaded taking finals. Let me tell you, that feeling never goes away. Finals signify the end of your classes and also are a hard deadline that can not be easily moved. Many times there is a paper or two that you also have to finish that has been hanging over your head all semester. That seemed to happen in all of my classes this time. The big question everyone always asks me is how to survive finals week and come out with some good grades.

1. When the semester starts, ask you professor if the final is going to be cumulative. This will give you an idea of how long you need to retain information and take notes. If you final will cover all the information from the semester, you need to make sure that you take good notes while reading the book the first time throughout the semester. Its a lot easier to read 10-20 pages of notes instead of 300-500 pages of text again.
2. If your class has a major paper that is due the week before or of finals, start working on it the month before finals. If you wait too long you will have to choose between writing a really good paper and studying for your finals, and in most cases your grades will suffer.
3. Manage your time. Realize that you will be studying harder this week than any other week during the semester most likely. Make sure that you have dedicated enough time that you can study enough for your tests. (And, yes, make sure you leave yourself time to sleep.)
4. About 3 weeks before finals check the exam schedule. Depending on how you have set up your classes, your exams may be at really weird times. If you have any day that you are signed up for three exams, you have the right to move one (normally the last one). DO SO. Taking three major tests in one day drains you and you will not be able to prepare properly for any tests you may have the next day.
5. Make sure you have friends in your classes. Study groups are amazing things. Also trading notes can really help you get an idea of what other people think is important to remember.
6. Some departments, specifically mathematics, will sell old exams as practice tests. These can be very useful to make sure you know the concepts that will be covered on the test. (And it also removes some of the nerves.)
7. If you absolutely did not understood a concept when it was covered in class, go talk to the professor. Ask questions. Not only will you get help with the problem, but the professor will also realize you really do want to know the information and that might help out if you end up on a grade boarder.
8. If you are getting really tired of studying, just think how close you are to finishing the semseter and a well deserved break. You are almost there and will soon be on the way home or whereever you have chosen for some well deserved R&R.

As for grades, they officially come out about 3-5 days after the last finals. Some professors will tell you early, but some do not wish to do that. After the tests, do not worry about what your grade is. Enjoy the break.

For me, it has been a difficult semester with classes, research, applications, and interviews. Hopefully next semester will be a little calmer, but I doubt it. I am beginning to see the light of graduation and I can not wait.  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays! I’ll catch up with everyone in a few weeks!

Uniqueness

College is very similar in many ways to high school. Throughout my high school years I went to class but I also was involved in many organizations. In college, I have done the same thing.

During the past four days, I have been interviewing for a MD/PhD program in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was in a pool of candidates that all had tremendous grades and test scores, but what made each of us different were the various activities that we have chosen to do while in college. Until this weekend, I never realized what a unique experience I have had at Marshall University and how well it can prepare you for your career, especially in a preprofessional track.

Marshall really encourages students to get involved in organizations on campus and that is a significant point when you are applying to grad schools. These programs do not just want to see someone who performs well in the classroom; they want people that are able to do that in addition to everything else they do. In addition to all the organizations, Marshall has a wonderful study abroad program that allows students to travel all over the world. Although, I did not participate in this program, many of the other candidates I met had done similar programs at their respective institutions. I definitely would recommend someone to take advantage of this opportunity.

One of the most impressive things about me was the fact that I started undergraduate research as a freshman in college. Apparently that is a very rare thing across the nation, but it is very common here at Marshall. It really made me stand out from the other candidates.

Although it may seem like I am speaking to mostly the science audience, I am not. This advice can be very useful for anyone who attends Marshall in preparation for their career. I will end this blog with a list of things that I think are important in college. But remember, college is about experiencing new things and creating your own path of life. You have to decide what is important to you.

1. Get involved early. There are many organizations on campus and some that are specific for majors. Even if you do not know what your major will be, you might want to get involved in some the organizations for various majors to see why other students decided they wanted to pursue that major.
2. Community Service. There are so many organizations that emphasize community service on campus. Either join one of these and participate or go out on your own and volunteer somewhere. This really is important if you are wanting to apply to med or any of the other professional programs. Some schools will not even interview you if you have not volunteered.
3. Travel. There are many different ways you can approach this. I have traveled throughout the east coast casually. However, there are national and international exchange programs in place that will allow you to study somewhere else for a month up to a year. Definitely take advantage of this.
4. Diversity. Show that not all your interests are in one area.
5. Have fun, but organized fun. One of the most common questions in interviews and on applications is what you do for fun. Get a group of friends where you guys try to plan something at least once a week. Be active. Do something that shows that you are not focused on school. (Remember being a great partier does not count.)
6. Classes and grades. Yes go to class and try to get decent grades. In most cases the specific grades are not as important as showing you are consistent and dedicated to your eventual major. Even if you have not decided yet what your major will be, there is something to say about sticking with your classes and passing with a B or C instead of withdrawing. Grad schools especially do not want to see withdraws on your transcript.
7. Be unique and yourself. I think this is probably the most important thing. You have to figure out what makes you different. I learned this weekend that it can be as simple as where you are from and your history. Do not take anything for granted. You never know what might become very useful in the future.

So if you are applying to Marshall and worried that you will not be competitive after graduation. Do not be. Marshall has prepared me wonderfully, and I have a great chance of getting into one of the best programs in the nation. College is what you make it. Marshall will give you all the tools you need to do this.

Early Beginnings and Blog Preview

Two days ago, I agreed to begin this blog about my college experiences and life at Marshall University. I am a double major in Biotechnology and Chemistry and very active on campus. As I sit down to write and eat a package of peanut butter M&Ms, I am thinking about how eventful this past week, and my college career, has been and where to start. I guess I might as well start at the beginning.

I took my first college classes at my high school. I remember being so scared because I was taking English 101 and History 103, my least favorite subjects. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hated writing papers in high school. Between these two classes I was going to have to write ten papers during the fall semester. I worked so hard for those classes, but I don’t regret the experience in the least. I was able to get a few hours of college credit and understand the level of work required to succeed in college. My English 101 professor is still one of the best teachers I have ever had. He taught me how to write my thoughts into a logical paper and somehow made it fun. I took this class through Marshall University in a duel credit program. Since that time, Marshall has been working extremely hard to provide more opportunities for students to take online college classes in high school. I think this is a wonderful chance for students to get used to college to make the transition from high school a little easier. Check out their site: http://www.marshall.edu/occhs/!

When I actually started my college career I had sixteen hours of credit and was nervous. I had a couple of honors classes and my first college chemistry class. I remember the 5^th week of school that semester. For some reason, there is always one week each semester that seems like all your professors have consorted together so you have a test in every one of your classes. This was that week. I ended up having three tests in one day, a very rare event. After I walked out of the last test, I was so tired but excited because I knew I was going to be able to survive college. To celebrate, I went down to a local ice cream shop to reward myself.

That semester I also began my first research project. Until college, I did not realize how active science really is. I just thought it was learning about animals, cool chemical reactions, and gravity. Everything seemed to be known about science, I was just trying to learn what everyone else already knew. I didn’t realize how much of science is continually changing because of research. By completing my own research I may be adding to this knowledge base too. This search for new knowledge has stuck with me throughout college. I have presented my research at national conferences in Chicago and Baltimore and at local meetings in West Virginia and on Marshall’s campus. It is such an honor to be able to complete undergraduate research and to represent Marshall at these conferences.

Research has become so significant to me that I am applying to attend MD/PhD programs next year. I decided that I want to be able to be a doctor and help patients clinically but also have my own research projects so that I can improve what we know about medicine and how we can improve patients’ lives. On my weekly blogs I am going to try to give updates on my applications and interviews and also describe some of the best things to do in both college and high school to prepare for medical school.

This week has been very eventful. Not only is Homecoming today, but yesterday was the anniversary of the 1970 plane crash that killed the majority of the Marshall Football team. As a local student from Huntington, my family is very close to the university. Both my mother and uncle graduated from Marshall and I always knew I wanted to come to Marshall for my college education. Every year there is a memorial ceremony for the victims of the plane crash. This is very close to my heart because my grandfather had originally planned to fly with the team to that game. Both of these events really emphasize how integrated the community and campus are and why Marshall students feel like they belong to the community as soon as they come to town.

I hope you enjoy reading my future blogs about Marshall and get better perspective of what being a Marshall student is all about!