Taylor Cassidy Paulite
Major: Chemistry
|
What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)?
A whole bunch of factors in my academic and social career contributed to me choosing this specific program. As a high school student, I always felt like I've succeeded in science. Thus, pursuing anything “Chemistry” felt just perfect to me. So when I started my first year at the university, I intended on double majoring in Biochemistry and Human Biology with the intent on being a dermatologist. As the first year of university started, I joined clubs and took psychology as my breathe requirement. After many months, I did not enjoy Biology as much as I thought I would - with the skipping of classes and dreading reading the textbook, I looked up the course requirements for switching into just a Chemistry program and it felt perfect. So after a year in Biology, I decided to quit Biochemistry and to switch to just Chemistry. Alongside that termination in first year, I found out that I enjoyed Psychology as well. Psychology gave me tools to answer modern day psychology questions such as "how does your childhood affect your personality" or "how does financial stability affect someone's perspective on life and achievement". Through the journey of learning these tools, I have felt like pursuing a minor in this field is worthwhile. After my second year in university, I left the full-time student life to be a full-time worker as part of my co-op program. Through the year off I have learned a lot about myself, such as my great independent, leadership and creative skills and about workplaces. What I learned about modern workplaces is that one key is extremely crucial, knowing how to work with data. After learning basic statistical analyses in my STAB22 requirement for Psychology, I decided to give a minor in Applied Statistics a try. And to this day, I have no regrets. This program combination is very challenging in a sense that no courses overlap, you learn many new things every day. Although challenging, it is rewarding. Depending on how you are as a student, you can either hate or love this program combination. In my case, I love it. I am used to hard work and changing environments, thus making this program very smooth and easy going for myself. Therefore, if you plan on taking this program combination, be prepared to learn new things every day and to learn a lot more about the world in comparison to taking just a specialist in one field. Tips and or advice that I can provide to students that are starting or considering this program is that being a well-rounded student is very critical in the workplace. Although the science field is very prestigious, it does not have many employment opportunities in comparison to business or computer science. It is great for research but not for industry based careers. Therefore, add in a practical minor, which is what I did, an Applied Statistics minor. Also, add in something you love, which for me was Psychology and Chemistry. Right now, I see limited jobs in my field but I know through my well-roundedness I believe I can create or find a job that mixes together all of my skills. Therefore, all in all, my advice is to make sure you choose a practical part of your degree, choose a part of your degree you are in love with and make sure you stay a well-rounded student with this program. What has your academic journey during your time been like as you progress toward graduation? |
Kejia (Vivian) SunSpecialist: Chemistry |
What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)? 2. Try to study basic knowledge like atoms and electrons through some books or YouTube before school so that you can check whether this kind of content is friendly for you :) 3. UTSC encourages students to take work-study program. If possible, you should try to apply for volunteer positions, take an active part in some club activities and mentor workshops (about science) to enrich your life. |
Fat MalazoguMajors: Biochemistry (Co-op) & Chemistry |
What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)?
In my first year of university I became really interested in how the human body works at the molecular and biochemical level. I wanted to gain a greater understanding how we are affected by different compounds, microbiota and the natural environment that surrounds us. The availability of co-op for Biochemistry, which gives you the opportunity to gain work related/research experience, also attracted me to the program. In addition, you can stand out of the crowd by combining the Biochemistry program with a wide range of major or minor programs Can you describe your program(s)? What is it actually like? There is quite a bit of variety with the Biochemisty program at UTSC. There are numerous courses that you can take that will familiarize you with the theory in biochemistry and its application. I especially enjoyed the rigorous lab courses where we applied our knowledge from lecture. My 1st and 2nd year consisted of basic life science courses where we covered general biology, chemistry, and calculus. However, after my 2nd year I was able to enroll in a lot of courses with interesting lab components. Some examples include Analytical Chemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Microbiology. What will you do with your degree after graduation? (Future plans?) I enrolled in the Biochemistry major because I believe it provides a lot of flexibility of what you can do with it after graduation. I will possibly go into the medical field, pharmacy, or a graduate school program related to those fields. What has your academic journey during your time been like as you progress toward graduation? My 1st and 2nd years of study mostly consisted of general chemistry, biology, and math courses. In second year my friends prompted me to join the Biology Student Association (BioSA), there I became a 2nd year representative. Student organizations are a great way to develop your leadership and soft skills while getting the chance to give back to the community. Generally, in the second year and onwards I found there is a lot more freedom with respect to course selection. I enrolled in several chemistry and biology courses with lab components and a couple ecology and evolutionary biology courses. I also started to volunteer in an ecology lab (The Cadotte Lab) and I have been fortunate enough to facilitate ecology FSGs (Facilitated Study Group). Third year has also been very eventful for me. I had the privilege of utilizing the skills gained in my classes to attain a co-op placement in a laboratory, where I am now. I hope to bring back the knowledge/skills and apply it in my studies. |