So far, my sophomore year at Columbia has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and has enabled me to hone in on my interests and readjust to in-person learning. This was my first semester living on campus, so a lot of the challenges of this school year have been related to switching from the routine of a remote, Zoom-based education, to navigating a new campus environment.
I won’t be able to declare my course of study until the spring semester, but I am planning on majoring in Biological Sciences and potentially doing a concentration in Public Health. I am still taking the required courses to apply for medical school, but I have been trying to explore different career paths in the life sciences industries like biotechnology research and development, public health policy, and healthcare consulting.
My classes this semester have included the intro-level biology, statistics, and physics courses, as well as Contemporary Civilizations, a required philosophy class that includes philosophical works by Descartes, Machiavelli, and Aristotle, and many others. My STEM courses have been difficult, but I have a great group of friends in my major to study with, so it makes the long hours in the library more enjoyable. I am also taking classical piano lessons right now as well, and will be performing Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in a recital at the end of this week. My next semester will consist of many of the same courses, except I will be adding on Hispanic Cultures, which will allow me to continue practicing my spanish-speaking skills for when I (hopefully) study abroad next school year.
Outside of class, I have continued my involvement as an Associate Editor of Columbia’s Journal of Global Health, and am currently reviewing submissions for our fall semester issue. In addition, I have begun working in the Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory in the Biomedical Engineering Department, and have been learning how to culture stem cells, do immunohistochemistry staining, and use MATLAB software for image processing.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the school year, and I would like to thank MVYouth for giving me the opportunity to attend Columbia University, because attending college in New York City has provided me with innumerable academic, professional, and social opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.