Final Reflection on First Semester

By far, my biggest challenge this semester would be stress management. Stress was my challenge in high school as well, but as I figured out how to manage my work and my health life took a positive turn. Coming to college I felt like I was starting off at square one again, barely able to relax at any given time. Now that I’ve adjusted and have a clearer idea of what my college career will look like, I’ve calmed down to my usual self. The lectures I attended for my Exploration survey course played a key role in this self-development. There is immense comfort in knowing what major you would like to pursue. For the most part, I knew that I would be a member of the college of Arts and Sciences because of my fascination with everything science. I was only unsure about major, so I attended and took special interest in these lectures. I had been considering Biology, Psychology, and Neuroscience. These lectures helped me to realize that the latter two were not meant for me. I wanted fulfillment through the life sciences.

However, I was introduced to an unexpected major this semester. Doing the informational interview, I discovered a student studying Molecular Genetics. Before that moment, I had no idea that the major existed and am grateful that I had the opportunity to expose myself to the major. As of now I am planning on declaring this major as soon as possible. Science has not always come easy, but over the years I’ve become good at it because of my intrigue for the subject. I am currently excelling in both Biology and Chemistry and am confident in my ability to join the field of Molecular Genetics one day. I am analytical and logical. I’ve also learned this semester that I work well in laboratory settings, being able to take leadership when it is necessary. My current goal is to become a molecular genetics counselor, but this is still undecided. Overall, I just want a degree in a science-related field which will help me expose myself to more knowledge.

Lectures for University Exploration have allowed me to not decide on a major, but allowed me to rule out majors. I’ve recently found that neuroscience and psychology are not majors for me. I want to explore the life sciences as opposed to the social sciences. Although I still have interests in these, they don’t fit my goals and would be better off as minors. Hearing from other students in majors I was considering helped most. It allowed me to see if my goals aligned with theirs. While hearing from other students was helpful, I wish that we could have heard from people who are in careers related to the majors in the lecture. It would have been nice to know specifics about how a major can be applied to the working world from people who have direct experience.

For next semester, I’d like to continue my progress in deciding between two majors: Biology and Molecular Genetics. In order to do this, I want to begin looking for research opportunities in order to learn what kind of research most interests me. Another goal for next semester would be to continue finding a balance between work and my personal life. Happiness is not something that I should push aside for the sake of success. I want my years here to be filled with good memories as well as immense knowledge. I want to work on further developing myself. If I could go back and talk to myself at the start of the semester, I’d say that everything will work out and that I need to stop wasting time stressing out and just have a little fun every once in a while. I’d also tell myself that science is the path for me. At the start of the semester I was unsure if I was good enough, but now I have full confidence in my abilities. I have always been someone who studies hard. Now I just need to learn how to have fun while I do it, so that I can make these years memorable.

Informational Interview (Molecular Genetics Major)

Q: When and why did you choose this major?
A: I knew that this was my major coming in. Why I chose it? I don’t know, I just really had a good vibe about it! I took AP Bio my senior year of high school. I hated science until my second year of high school, just detested it. I thought I’d become a lawyer and never have to deal with science. I told that to my Honors Chemistry teacher, but he was like “Keep going! You got it!” He’s the best teacher I’ve ever had and made me love Chemistry. I just really liked the Genetics aspect of that class and thought it would be something I was interested in. DNA is so integral to everything we are and everything we’re capable of that I thought it would be fascinating to study. It’s cool that OSU has this major. I always thought I would be a lawyer because that’s what came easier to me—humanities classes. Science was hard, but the intrigue and curiosity was there.

Q: Did you start in this major? If so did you ever question your decision?
A: I’ve never really questioned my major; I’ve questioned what I want to do with my major a lot. With a Mol Gen major you kind of have to go on to more school unless you want to work in a lab all day. I started out in Pre-Med—that’s awful. Then I thought I’d want to do graduate school and be a professor. Junior year I started in a research lab and I got to work with a graduate every day of the week. I also got really close to my professor who was my PI, principal investigator, and they pretty much all told me not to go to graduate school because it’s a lot of time and money. You could be in graduate school around 6 or 7 years. They were advising me to look in other directions. I decided since I was already an English minor and the humanities came easier to me, I’d be most useful using Molecular Genetics in law. When being a science major it’s more about what you plan on pursuing with your major. It’s not as clear-cut.

Q: Did you get all A’s and B’s in your major course work?
A: Close! I got a C+ in General Chemistry my freshman year but other than that I’ve had all A’s and B’s. I didn’t put as much effort in as I needed. I think I was getting accustomed to the social aspect or college. I was like I took AP Chem in high school, I know this stuff! No—that final killed me. I was so depressed and sad about it for a while because I had never gotten grades like that in high school. My GPA at the end of my first semester was lower than I wanted which was horrendous because I was taking Chem and Calc. I guess that was a point where I questioned whether I would have to change my major, but not really do I want to. I came back the next semester and got like a 3.7 and lifted it up again. Sometimes I get down about my GPA because some people have way higher GPAs, but also you got to remind yourself that so many people fail out of these classes. So many people struggle. I’ve actually heard that when applying to graduate programs that sometimes they’re happy to see you not have a 4.0 because it shows that you’ve worked through challenges and didn’t give up. They make those beginner science courses hard on purpose, but the reward is so great. If you have that curiosity, you’re going to learn so much in a field like Biology or Mol Gen.

Q: What have you been studying in your lab and how has it helped reinforce your major decision?
A: I study centrosomes and they serve a main function in the spindle assembly check-point in separating the chromosomes from one another. The centrosomes need to get duplicated to separate the chromosomes accordingly into the two new cells. I study a protein called MPS1 that we believe has to get degraded to prevent centrosome reduplication If you have several centrosomes, then when you go to split the chromosomes they’re going to split into random cells. That’s what happens in a lot of cancers. We hypothesize a protein called ERK either prevents or promotes the degradation that leads to that. Basically, its related to cancer and my PI is helping to patent an MPS1 inhibitor because it has been shown to kill cancer cells. As far as curiosity goes I feel like my opinions are valid which is really nice when you work in a research lab. I don’t think everyone gets to feel like that so you have to find the right fit. When you’re doing research how you see things is important. If you do research find a lab where you’re doing what you like and find an atmosphere where you feel like your opinions are valid.

Q: What was your favorite major course?
A: My favorite course so far has been 5608 which is Developmental Biology. How the Mol Gen major works is you finish your Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. Then you have your Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. I took 5608 last semester. It was really fascinating because it’s pretty much entirely about how an egg gets fertilized and becomes a thing. I never thought about that before the class started. I knew basic things like fertilization and zygotes, but you don’t think about how certain genes have to be expressed in certain areas of this egg to promote where the heads going to be or where the legs are going to be. How it happens genetically is really cool. There’s a class I’m taking now which is cancer genetics. That’s interesting! I mean it’s all about how a cell becomes cancerous. It’s harder than you would think for how many people get cancer. It’s a whole other rant I could go on!

Synthesis:
At the beginning of my first semester, I joined a club called the Boo Radley Society. This is a group that conducts random acts of kindness around campus. When being introduced to the leadership in charge of the club, I was introduced to Taylor Daniel—a Molecular Genetics Senior at the university. When I heard what her major was, it sparked an interest in me because I had never known it was a major. After doing some more research I decided that she was the one that I wanted to interview. At the end of one of our meetings, I approached her and told her about the interview. She was more than willing to do it and even suggested that I tour her lab. I’m interested in the biological science so I knew she would be a great fit!

The most valuable information I took from the interview was when she began discussing her research. The passion and fascination she had for it demonstrated exactly what I’m looking for in a major. I was considering both Molecular Genetics and Forensic Biology but now I am favoring Genetics. Hearing her talk about deciding what to do with my major has also caused me to start thinking about what I may do after my undergraduate. From the interview, I also learned that even though Molecular Genetics is a hard major, it seems to be worth it—at least for Taylor. Grades aren’t everything and the knowledge you can gain in this field is amazing. I want to be in a field where I’m constantly learning because I enjoy it. This major would fit perfectly with that. A lot of information I had already had some knowledge on, but everything helped to reinforce the fact that this major is on my list of possible majors.

To decide between this major in Biology, I think I just need experience. I’ve done the research and have a good grasp on the major. Taking more Biology and Chemistry and focusing on ideas that may relate to Biology or Genetics may help me to decide. Since both majors are so closely tied, I may declare one of the majors to test it out. I have all the information; I just need to interact with the courses to know if this is the major I want to do. So far in the semester, I’ve found the Holland codes and the searches for “What Can I Do With This Ohio State Major?” most helpful in narrowing down my options. The Holland code helped because I had trouble discerning between what I like and What I’m good at. Since I was good at math I thought Engineering should be my path, but the Holland code showed I wasn’t compatible. I thought about whether I would enjoy Engineering, but ultimately decided that it wasn’t for me. What did show up were biological sciences, which I had already expressed an interest in. The ability to search my major for career options and skills gained from the major, it helped show how the major will translate outside of college. Broad majors like the sciences scared me before seeing the possibilities that they held. These things, including the interview, have narrowed down my choices to two majors and a few possible minors. I feel like, I’m almost ready to decide and declare.

Transition into College

My largest worry coming into college would have to be not being able to adjust and never finding out what I want to do because of it. It’s hard to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life when I feel like I hardly know myself yet! I know that this is what the college experience is all about, but it is still nerve-racking. As for what I’m most excited about, that would have to be meeting different kinds of people and exploring new subjects. Overall, I’m just ready to expand my horizons!
From high school, I brought many AP credits to give me a head start in college. This is something I appreciate especially as an Undecided student. In these classes I gained the necessary study skills to prepare me for my classes. Although I’m taking both Biology 1113H AND Chemistry 1210, I am managing to keep up with my work load. Of course college is harder than my high school courses, but it prepped me for the next level well! I’m used to those long, late night cram sessions that characterize any college career. I’m also an avid coffee drinker so I’m prepped in that way as well!
I’m interested in quite a few extra curricular activities, including OSU Oval dogs, Buckeyethon, and the Boo Radley club that focuses on random acts of kindness across campus. Since I am starting my first semester, I’ll probably only pick one for now, but in the future I hope to be a part of each of them!
The best piece of advice for me from the panel was to realize that nobody has their life figured out yet and that most people change major anyways. I related to that feeling of stress when thinking that you are behind your peers, and hearing the success stories of fellow Buckeyes who will graduate on a four year plan relieved much of that stress. Now I can better focus on my studies, knowing that going in undecided is not a negative thing and it provides you with resources to determine what you would love most.

About Me

 

Allison Bischoff is a 2nd year undergraduate student, currently enrolled in the Honors Arts and Sciences program as a major in molecular genetics. She is a dedicated student who is passionate about the life sciences and is looking towards a possible career as a healthcare professional or researcher (Or maybe even both!). When she is not in the classroom, she volunteers in a neuroscience lab on campus, helping to learn more about how stress impacts the health of mothers during pregnancy. In her free time, Allison enjoys listening to music and laughing with friends. She is an active member of The Boo Radley society which makes campus a happier place by spreading random acts of kindness. This summer, she has the incredible opportunity to study biomedical laboratory sciences abroad in Trondheim, Norway! She hopes that this experience will better prepare her for future internships and laboratory positions.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness:

During the past two years at The Ohio State University, I have been exposed to people from many different walks of life in small ways, including clubs and coursework. Since my first semester of my freshman year I have been involved in The Boo Radley Society—an organization that inspires others to do random acts of kindness around campus. While the group is not directly diversity oriented, the community encourages a sense of inclusion among its members and draws in people from many different backgrounds. I’ve been incredibly grateful to meet kind, accepting individuals who have exposed me to different cultures and beliefs and also inspired me to become a better global citizen.

I have also recently taken my second year English course which served as a GE for cultural diversity. Not only does the course’s subject encourage me to approach issues from other perspectives that I might not have previously considered, but the diversity of students in the course has shed light on issues faced by different groups of people. Due to the class’s online format, it has allowed for students from different circumstances to discuss topics pertaining to diversity. Specifically I recall a discussion about nationalism in sports television. I had never thought much about where I stood regarding singing the national anthem at sporting events until talking with classmates who come from immigrant families or who have different religious beliefs from my own. Hearing their stories made me realize how I often ignore issues that don’t affect myself. In order to be a better global citizen in the future, I plan on better informing myself on all issues even when they don’t impact me and looking at these issues from the perspective of people who are affected by these issues. It’s my responsibility as a global citizen to make this effort to support and celebrate the diversity of others.

In order to continue working towards a better sense of global awareness, I am taking a study abroad trip this summer to Trondheim, Norway where I will be studying biomedical laboratory science. I will live for one month in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s residence halls with other Norwegian and transfer students. During the trip, I will be exposed to a completely different culture from my own and develop a greater understanding for what it’s like to be in a foreign place. Statistically, I have always been a part of the majority; this experience will show me what it’s like to be a minority. This experience will push me out of my comfort zone and give me a greater understanding of what is necessary to be a good global citizen. I look forward to trying new foods and celebrating different holiday’s during my time abroad and truly expanding my horizons.

 

Original Inquiry:

During my first year at Ohio State, I was exposed to many coursework that exposed me to the research process. Being a molecular genetics major, much of my coursework includes a lab. In both Biology 1113H and Biology 1114H, the lab portion included the opportunity to for students to complete different small-scale research projects throughout the course. In Biology 1113H, the project focused on how scientific research has direct impact on the well-being of others. We toured Dr. Byrd’s cancer research lab on campus. This lab is funded by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in order to find new ways of effectively treating different blood cancers. We the also volunteered at an LLS Light the Night event, which is a walk to raise money for additional resources and for families impacted by blood cancer. Our experience touring the lab and interacting with affected families culminated in a poster project that we presented to our peers, giving me my first taste of a formal poster presentation session.

In Biology 1114H, we did more of a scientific research project that focused on endophytes, or fungus that grows within plants and usually provides some benefit to the host plant. We had the opportunity to ask any question to endophytes that we wanted and choose appropriate plans to answer this question, giving us experience in designing a study. My group specifically studied how the physical morphology/structures of the plants impacted the endophyte composition of plants. We took two ferns that differed in physical appearance (one with large, waxy leaves and one with more tree-like appearance) and cultured the endophytes, doing different test to classify the types of endophytes in each plant. It was a great way to experience a full research project all the way from coming up with a hypothesis to writing a paper on the results.

Knowing that I want a career involving research, I joined a research lab on OSU’s medical campus at the beginning of my sophomore year. My lab studies how stress affects the health of mothers and their offspring during pregnancy, using a mouse model to conduct studies. For my first semester in the lab, I familiarized myself with the laboratory work setting and got comfortable doing routine tasks around the lab such as RNA extractions, taking images of fetal samples, and doing behavioral testing. I aided in any task that graduate students needed. During my final semester of my sophomore year, I have been able to get myself involved in a specific project in the lab. I am working with a graduate student to get a new project off the ground that investigates how antibiotic mice are impacted by stress compared to control mice. Through this study we aim to determine the role the microbiome plays in mediating the effects of stress. I’ve been incredibly excited to be part of a project that inspires my curiosity and prepares me for a future career in science. I plan on continuing research work outside of my classes to continue integrating original inquiry into my undergraduate career.

 

Academic Enrichment:

The honors program at Ohio State has introduced me to challenging, interesting coursework that I may not have experienced otherwise. Inside the classroom, I have been challenged to better my understanding of biology and conduct individual research projects in courses such as Biology 1113H and Biology 1114H. This courses provided a strong foundation for my continued education in the field of genetics. In Sociology 1101H, I was challenged to think critically about issues pertaining to different groups of people, the structure of our society, and how this structure impacts how we behave. It was a class that dreaded taking initially, but the passion of Dr. Douglas Downey was inspiring and has left me with deep interest in sociology. Although the course challenged me to think critically in ways I hadn’t done before, it was a great learning experience that I embraced, finding issues within sociology that I became passionate about.

The honors contract has helped me to organize my coursework and led me to research courses at OSU that I may not have previously known existed. By preparing a plan for the rest of my undergraduate education, I can prepare a curriculum for myself that will best develop the skills I need for the working world. While I am still determining that exact direction my career will take me, I know that my career will pertain to the life sciences. I have found a passion in genetics that I will continue to pursue through my major in Molecular Genetics. In order to explore different fields throughout my time at OSU, I have made a plan that allows me to explore and prepare for many different fields. I am choosing GE courses that are necessary for many pre-professional programs and I am taking a minor in forensic science to explore interests in this area. While exploring my options, I have committed myself to take coursework that challenges me within my major and in my honors GE choices such as Biology 1113H, Biology 1114H, and Sociology 1101H. Throughout this journey, I continue to hold myself to high academic standards that align with the honors college at OSU by achieving the Dean’s list each semester I have been at the university. I hope to continue challenging myself while aiming for academic excellence.

 

Leadership Development:

While I have made an effort to be involved on campus, I haven’t had the opportunity to become officially involved in many leadership opportunities on campus. Currently, I am a general chemistry mentor for Dr. Stoltzfus’s general chemistry 1210 course. This has been an excellent opportunity to foster some leadership skills by providing advice to incoming freshmen on how to do well in challenging college coursework. It has been an enriching experience actively engaging with other students and helping them during a challenging time. This experience has been my first taste of an official leadership position. In the future, I plan on seeking out leadership opportunities in the future.

Specifically, I am involved in an OSU organization called The Boo Radley Society that spreads random acts of kindness around campus. I have been involved with the club since my first semester at the university and am prepared to invest even more of myself into the club. They have truly become my family, and I’m excited to give back to the organization in any way I can. Next semester, I will apply to be a captain. These individuals help plan events across campus for the club and work with club executives to fund and advertise these events. In addition to this, I plan on becoming a mentor for new members of the club. I have loved being a mentor for others and wish to do it for this club as well. I want to be a support system like all of my previous mentors have supported me. After becoming a captain, I hope to apply to be an executive during my senior year to truly act as a leader.

No matter the career path I choose, leadership will be critical to my success. Whether it’s working in a research lab or in the medical field, I will need to be an independent worker that can be depended upon by others. I hope to one day serve as a mentor and a leader in my field of choice. Gaining these experiences now will prepare me for this future.

 

Service Engagement:

I have been involved in many short-term volunteering experiences during my time at OSU. In the future I hope to direct my time to more long-term projects I am passionate about in order to be as socially beneficial to the community as possible. During my past two years at the university I have participated in Buckeyethon by raising money to end childhood cancer. This past summer I also did hospice volunteering near my house in Cincinnati. This was an especially emotional, and life-changing experience. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with an Alzheimer’s patient and provide emotional support to her during her final days. I would meet with her weekly to sit with her, read the bible, and play music for her. While she was often unaware of her surroundings, her family was comforted knowing that someone was there with her when they could not be. The experience truly opened my eyes to the importance of quality end of life care that goes beyond easing pain—care that includes personal connection.

I have also volunteered at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s light the night walk that raises awareness and funds for blood cancer through my Biology 1114H. While this was and single event, I was touched by the support that families affected by blood cancer have for one another. During the past year, I have raised money for and personally donated to the foundation. I plan on continuing to do so in order to engage in a cause that I find important.

In the future I hope to engage in suicide hotline volunteering. Having had many issues with my own mental health in the past, I want to provide support to others who are going through similar struggles. I plan on applying to a crisis center during fall semester of my junior year. In the meantime, I am signed up for OSU’s REACH training program which informs individuals on how to prevent suicide. While I do not have the time in my schedule now, I will prepare in small ways to be more active in preventing suicide in our community.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]