Why did you choose to attend UM?
For me, college was this large, daunting cloud hanging over my head for most of high school. Being from Memphis, TN, UM is an obvious top choice, being only an hour away. However, after taking the time to research and tour the university, I fell in love with the community. UM gives you the best of all worlds: an impressive staff across the board, ranked sports teams to follow (and obviously the best tailgates out there), an honors college/greek life that offers a smaller community to meet people and participate in various forms of service, and the list goes on! Oxford is a close-knit community, united by its school pride, which really drew me in. No matter who you are, where you came from, or where you're going, you are a part of the community.
For me, college was this large, daunting cloud hanging over my head for most of high school. Being from Memphis, TN, UM is an obvious top choice, being only an hour away. However, after taking the time to research and tour the university, I fell in love with the community. UM gives you the best of all worlds: an impressive staff across the board, ranked sports teams to follow (and obviously the best tailgates out there), an honors college/greek life that offers a smaller community to meet people and participate in various forms of service, and the list goes on! Oxford is a close-knit community, united by its school pride, which really drew me in. No matter who you are, where you came from, or where you're going, you are a part of the community.
What would you tell a high school student about your major? What is most important for them to know if they are interested in pursuing that field of study?
Biochemistry is an extremely hard but rewarding field of study. It is unlike anything you have learned up to this point, but is incredibly interesting and easy to contextualize. No matter what future career path you choose, whether it be medicine, dentistry, research, etc., you will be prepared through each class you take. I believe the most important piece of advice for someone interested in this field is to understand the challenges that come with it, but have some faith in yourself. I have seen way too many peers face a roadblock and immediately give up. Even some of the smartest people I've met lose faith and switch majors. Your life won't look the same as students in other majors, and that is okay!
Biochemistry is an extremely hard but rewarding field of study. It is unlike anything you have learned up to this point, but is incredibly interesting and easy to contextualize. No matter what future career path you choose, whether it be medicine, dentistry, research, etc., you will be prepared through each class you take. I believe the most important piece of advice for someone interested in this field is to understand the challenges that come with it, but have some faith in yourself. I have seen way too many peers face a roadblock and immediately give up. Even some of the smartest people I've met lose faith and switch majors. Your life won't look the same as students in other majors, and that is okay!
Why is your department a special place?
Coming from a small high school, I was terrified to attend a large SEC school. The department of chemistry and biochemistry feels like a family. I have many hours in between classes always spent in the chemistry building lobby. I know there will always be a friendly face to chat or study with. I also have yet to encounter a professor that doesn’t make an effort to help their students succeed. Last semester, I took physical chemistry, a terrifying class I couldn’t even comprehend. By the second week of class, my professor, Dr. Fortenberry, knew each of the 75 students in there by name. Even in the larger chemistry classes, it doesn't feel like a teacher lecturing to a room of people. It feels comfortable.
Coming from a small high school, I was terrified to attend a large SEC school. The department of chemistry and biochemistry feels like a family. I have many hours in between classes always spent in the chemistry building lobby. I know there will always be a friendly face to chat or study with. I also have yet to encounter a professor that doesn’t make an effort to help their students succeed. Last semester, I took physical chemistry, a terrifying class I couldn’t even comprehend. By the second week of class, my professor, Dr. Fortenberry, knew each of the 75 students in there by name. Even in the larger chemistry classes, it doesn't feel like a teacher lecturing to a room of people. It feels comfortable.
What class or professor has had the most impact on you?
My biochemistry classes with Dr. Chakraborty have had the biggest impact on me throughout my time here. Even though it was a decently large class (about 150 students), he still made an effort to interact with all the students, ask questions, and learn their names. His class was challenging, but he encouraged students to think deeply about the material while also keeping it light-hearted. It takes a pretty impressive professor to have a whole class cracking up laughing while learning about biochemistry!
The further along you go into your major, the more specific the classes get. It makes it easy to find something that interests you if you haven't quite figured that out yet. For me, that happened to be biochemistry. I never thought that I would actually be excited to sit down and study for hours on end for a class, but I found that in biochemistry.
My biochemistry classes with Dr. Chakraborty have had the biggest impact on me throughout my time here. Even though it was a decently large class (about 150 students), he still made an effort to interact with all the students, ask questions, and learn their names. His class was challenging, but he encouraged students to think deeply about the material while also keeping it light-hearted. It takes a pretty impressive professor to have a whole class cracking up laughing while learning about biochemistry!
The further along you go into your major, the more specific the classes get. It makes it easy to find something that interests you if you haven't quite figured that out yet. For me, that happened to be biochemistry. I never thought that I would actually be excited to sit down and study for hours on end for a class, but I found that in biochemistry.
What do you hope to do after graduation? What are your career goals/plans?
I hope to attend medical school at the University of Tennessee and become an orthopedic surgeon.
I hope to attend medical school at the University of Tennessee and become an orthopedic surgeon.
What is one thing you wish you knew as an incoming freshman that you'd tell your past self (about the general college experience)?
Embrace the awkwardness! College is full of brand-new experiences, and it’s easy to forget that you’re not the only one going through it. There is nothing quite like going to your first big lecture not knowing a single person. It’s easy to just put your head down and keep to yourself, but you could be sitting next to your future best friend. Living with a random roommate is going to feel so awkward at first. Yes, you are living with a complete and total stranger that you know literally nothing about, but this is the only time you'll ever get to experience something like this! My random roommate ended up being one of my closest friends. Everyone is going through the same things, so just embrace the awkwardness.
Embrace the awkwardness! College is full of brand-new experiences, and it’s easy to forget that you’re not the only one going through it. There is nothing quite like going to your first big lecture not knowing a single person. It’s easy to just put your head down and keep to yourself, but you could be sitting next to your future best friend. Living with a random roommate is going to feel so awkward at first. Yes, you are living with a complete and total stranger that you know literally nothing about, but this is the only time you'll ever get to experience something like this! My random roommate ended up being one of my closest friends. Everyone is going through the same things, so just embrace the awkwardness.
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