FDOC
Today was the First Day of Classes! Usually, classes here start on Wednesday, but this semester, the University decided that it was best to cut our winter break short by two days and get the most out of this first week back.This semester, I am taking the second semesters of both Biology and Organic Chemistry (with the labs…yuck). I am also taking Rhetoric and Civic Life, for my Communication Studies major and an honors seminar called ‘Public Opinion and Democracy in Latin America.’ This honors seminar is the first Political Science-type class that I am taking here at Vanderbilt, so I am incredibly excited. It will definitely be a nice break from all of the science classes I normally take.
Speaking of science, this semester I am taking a special biology lab. BSCI 111C is a two-credit lab, whereas most labs are only one credit. This lab further differs from other labs because it is focused on developing and completing scientific research. My group of eight students, which is led by a full-time faculty member of the Biological Sciences department, is focusing on water quality in Nashville’s rivers. We get to conduct field tests at local parks and analyze specimens. I am so excited to dabble in research. Even if water quality is not my true passion, I will gain a skill set which I can apply to research in a medical field.
This semester should present me with the usual academic struggles, but each semester here has been my best yet and I can’t wait to see what this semester has in store!