You might call me nerdy, but Science has always been my thing. I had my Barbie dolls and American girl dolls, but most of the time I chose to play with my "mad scientist kit", collect rocks, venture into the woods, or dig holes in my back yard and blame it on the dog. It was always more exciting to make my own little discoveries or create miniature experiments then play video games inside. In my own words, Science is the study of the structure, behavior, and make up of the world (living and non-living) through observation and experimentation. I believe Science is an extraordinarily important field. It definitely can be intimidating and overwhelming, but it's well worth the struggle. I hope to live to see the day Cancer can be cured, the discovery of another planet humans can inhabit, and transportation exceeding the efficiency of airplanes. All of these ideas can be possible through research, observation, experimentation, and the progression of Science.
School definitely enhanced my love for Science. Throughout the years, the Science teachers were always the "cool" teachers. Even in college, my most influential professors were my Science teachers. They are consistently passionate about their field. My science professors were also so eager to help when concepts became confusing. Not to mention, who wouldn't like a class in which you go on tons of outstanding field trips, and are allowed to use fire and potentially toxic chemicals? I, for one, could not turn these experiences down. After high school, I started my collegiate career off as a Biology major. I then went on to receive my associates degree in Science. After some time, the Math components needed to continue down my scientific path, lead me to change my major. It was very heartbreaking for me. One of my most exciting experiences as a Science student was having the opportunity to instruct a group of high school students in a Biology lab. At the time, I had never thought about teaching, but my professor thought I'd complete this nerve racking task well. The lab was to view how caffeine and alcohol impacts heart rate. Each pair of students were given a microscope, the organism; Daphnia to assemble on a slide, samples of caffeine and alcohol, as well as any other tools needed to complete the experiment. Daphnia is commonly known as a water flea. They are small plank-tonic crustaceans. Under a microscope, you are able to view the organisms heart pumping, as well as other internal features. This ability allows students to observe the change in heart beat while adding caffeine or alcohol. Fortunately, the lab was a great success. The students loved it, and suddenly teaching wasn't such a frightening idea.
Undeniably, it takes a passionate, patient, and reliable teacher to be a successful Science instructor. Along with studying Science comes numerous difficult to understand concepts, never-ending definitions, and significant lab rules and regulations. In order to not get discouraged or frightened, a student has to feel like their teacher is on their side and not against them. It is easy to think your teacher is aiming for you to fail, especially when the subject itself is very challenging. In my experiences, my Science instructors made every student feel that they will be there to support their learning experience. After school assistance and tutors were always encouraged and very helpful. I always felt my instructors wanted to be their and wanted to help their students succeed. There was never a time I felt uncomfortable going to a Science teacher for support. In addition, they never made belittled me or made me feel dumb.
As a result of my teachers and my love for the subject, I strongly believe I have been successful in Science. The work load was always tremendous and the concepts difficult to understand, but I've always pushed forward with the help of my instructors. Although difficult at times, I have always gotten good grades in my Science classes. My only downfall was not achieving my bachelors degree in Biology. If I had a more fortunate experience with Math, I may have been able to reach my goal in gaining a Biology degree.
Overall, my experiences in Science have shaped into a person who is passionate about the environment, medical advancements, and new discoveries about the world around me. I think the subject is exciting and of high importance. I hope Science will always be a hobby of mine.
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