Amelia Scott
My degree
I had always been interested in STEM but upon graduating from high school was unsure exactly what I wanted to study, so I enrolled in engineering. After a year of study I realised that the natural world was of greater interest to me, so I applied to change degrees. Following that passion is among the best decisions I’ve ever made.
As a small child I wanted first to be a palaeontologist, then a vet, then a documentary film-maker … so while I didn’t anticipate ending up in the human biological sciences, altogether I wasn’t too far off!
My favourite subject
I’m lucky enough to be very much enjoying every one of my units of study – I couldn’t choose a favourite! The physiology units (at the moment, PHSI3909 and 3910) deserve particular mention, because as a set, they constitute a fantastic body of study, whilst each also stands as well as any unit on its own, and the laboratory component is phenomenal.
My experience
For one, how far it exceeded my hopes. I feel incredibly lucky to be studying my passion, every day I am challenged and I could not be happier. One particularly unexpected turn my studies have taken is the addition of history and philosophy of science units alongside the science itself; I have found the two fields highly mutually complementary.
Particularly inspiring is the enthusiasm that my lecturers have for their fields! And I’m very grateful for how generous they are with taking the time to share their expertise and answer the questions their students have.
My future
At this point, I’m considering a few different options. My major is immunobiology, a field in rapid development, which provides a wealth of exciting research opportunities – so that’s definitely a promising possibility.
My advice
I would advise them to go for it! Life is full of unknown unknowns, and study in science is one of the best ways to uncover them. The best-case scenario is that you discover a passion, but at the very least, you will gain some new understanding of and perspective on the world and on your self within it.