So I have become that second semester senior doing something totally random to finish out her year: I am taking a biology class.
I am doing this because I have recently become increasingly interested in health and nutrition, especially how notions of health and wellness differ between cultures. Obviously, as an East Asian Studies major, my experience with other cultures has been predominantly China-centric. And my time abroad in Beijing is definitely a big contributor to my developing interest in this topic.
I am currently taking an independent study with my sophomore year Chinese professor that is focused on the topic of health and wellness in traditional Chinese culture. One week in, I am absolutely in love with learning about the topic!
But getting back to this new biology thing: I decided to take an intro bio course before I graduate in case I decide I want to get a higher degree in nutrition studies post graduation. So far the course has been a lot of fun. I had my first lab last week. We collected samples from Lake Waban and examined them under a microscope, which was very cool. I felt like quite the scientist;)
My lab class collecting samples from Lake Waban.
A Daphnia that I found in my sample!
Another organism I found (that I wasn’t able to identify before class ended).
My new (and rather last minute) change of direction (East Asian Studies to nutrition science) has made me realize how important a liberal arts education has been for me throughout my process of maturation. If I was at another institution, I might not have had the exposure to other disciplines that I’ve had here. This exposure has allowed me to grow and explore interests without forcing me to commit myself to one area of study. All along, my major has been intersciplinary in nature, drawing on courses in history, language, culture and women’s and gender studies. Now, I’m simply adding a dash of science to the mix!