The End of the Beginning
Commencement was today, and I am now officially graduated, with an AB and AM in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, class of 2007! The last few days were very interesting, especially since the university made a whole-hearted attempt to make us feel the weight of the long train of tradition (perhaps for our future pocket cash?). I felt more of that this week than I had ever in the past four years, because of all the alumni coming back, the ceremonies and antiquated little quirks that made the university slightly weird (probably retained on purpose for distinguishment), and the gathering of the students together in Memorial Church for the Bachelor’s service that has (supposedly) been held every year for centuries.
Well, it’s been a long four years, but they were great ones. I loved learning from devoted professors, great peers, and having access to some of the great resources that make this university wonderful. Learning about NFkB from biologist Thomas Maniatis, studying organometallic chemistry and transition state structures from chemist David Evans, learning how to set up a sucrose gradient from biochemist Guido Guidotti, deriving wave mechanics with string theorist Cumran Vafa, analyzing bioethics with philosopher Michael Sandel, and learning how to build an economic model from economist Edward Glaeser – these are all wonderful experiences that I’ll take with me to graduate school and beyond. These people are a marvel to watch and learn from, and their infectious enthusiasm for the material that they study is one reason why I love science so much.
There is little that I truly regret about my undergraduate experience. Perhaps I could have worked harder in my coursework; maybe I could have made a few more friends and gone to a few more parties. Perhaps I could have been a bit more proactive with my research experience. I really should’ve taken my time drinking that white russian at my friend’s party. But, really, I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and I think I learned a lot, not just about science, but about life and people. I built lasting friendships and relationships. That’s probably the most important thing I take away from here; after all, the education, though grand, probably isn’t qualitatively any better than other colleges and universities. Instead, it was the remarkable and unique collection of students and faculty that truly made my undergraduate experience memorable.
