I started the year early with a few weeks of RA training. To put it mildly, I was terrified. I was absolutely certain that I'd end up quitting or getting fired. There was no way on earth that I, Taylor Bastian, could make all the decorations and remember all the rules and interact with all the residents and somehow not screw up so royally that I would get kicked out. This was a major stressor on me, but it was also a wonderful opportunity for growth. I got to interact with and guide dozens of unique, brilliant, wonderful Honors students; I learned so much from them, and I gained many leadership skills in the process.
Left: A goodbye gift from my residents
Right: A picture taken with the other Honors LLC RAs
Right: A picture taken with the other Honors LLC RAs
Despite my sincere love for my new job, the added time commitment didn't make schoolwork any easier. I needed to continue the Biology intro series, which ended up being much more difficult for me than Bio 180 had been. I found 200 and 220 to be a wonderful way to stretch my learning -- they were much more hands-on and detail-oriented, rather than the vague, big-picture concepts that I had enjoyed in 180. Even as I struggled with concepts and said that I hated plant biology, I secretly found myself being extremely excited whenever a new concept would 'click.' The connections were what really excited me; I loved being able to understand the new concepts I had learned and apply them to situations. Even though I'd grumble about cellulose and muscle function, I'd stop my friends on walks to explain how their myosin and actin were interacting and how the trees they saw were only able to stay so tall because of vascularization. This became a trend in my learning; I became truly fascinated with almost everything I learned once I understood it. Once that happened, I had to share it and teach it to others.
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I also ended my general chemistry journey and began other hard-science paths. Despite following my usual pattern of enthusiasm in even the most hated of topics, I must admit that I wasn't sad to finish general chemistry. Don't get me wrong, I love knowing how forces and atoms work. I still get super excited when I realize that intramolecular forces are causing a particular biological function; as always, the broader connections to cause me to grudgingly appreciate the classes that I found difficult to conceptualize. I have to give it to this class, though -- I had some fun times in here. My professor lit a table on fire once. For that, I cannot truly say that this class was boring.
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The introductory physics courses were an interesting and important part of my learning experiences this year. I have always believed that I didn't like physics, that it was too hard and I just didn't get it. This may or may not (but definitely does) have something to do with the fact that I took AP physics in high school as one of 2 girls in a room full of boys that didn't think I should be there; there wasn't enough demand for a full AP physics class, so it was me, a random senior, and the entire robotics club learning regular physics material. I was given an AP physics textbook and thrown into AP test. I got a 3. I'm still a little bitter, if you can't tell.
All this to say, I really didn't think this class would be my jam. Wrong again! Difficult? Yeah. Doable? Definitely. A light and joy in the cold winter days? Occasionally, but only when my sweet professor would make dad jokes and wait nervously for us to laugh. I want him to be my uncle. I learned a lot about torque, but I learned more about not giving up on a whole discipline because some 16 year old boys are mad that your grades are better than theirs.
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All this to say, I really didn't think this class would be my jam. Wrong again! Difficult? Yeah. Doable? Definitely. A light and joy in the cold winter days? Occasionally, but only when my sweet professor would make dad jokes and wait nervously for us to laugh. I want him to be my uncle. I learned a lot about torque, but I learned more about not giving up on a whole discipline because some 16 year old boys are mad that your grades are better than theirs.
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This interest was furthered in Dr. Herron's Honors Evolution and Human Behavior class. I had already taken an evolution-focused course from Dr. Herron, and I found this course to be just as exciting. I loved playing games about why specific mating systems work and learning about weird parasites. Actually, scratch that. I did NOT love the weird parasites. But this class was unique because it taught me, more than any class I can remember, the very specific terminology used in scientific papers and in biology courses. It seemed fussy to me at first, but looking back, I had a much better grasp in many of my courses because I knew EXACTLY what the null hypothesis was and EXACTLY what someone meant when they said that an organism had "evolved this trait."
An analysis essay I wrote for Evolution and Human Behavior
I also continued my connection with the UW Chorale. The music we learned was incredibly meaningful to me, and it got me through a lot this year. We spent a good chunk of our time preparing for the Estonian Song Festival over the summer; my friends soon grew sick of me humming Estonian and Latvian folk songs. Our choir learned about the history and background of the Baltic countries. I was unable to travel to Estonia for the festival, but I felt close to the countries in a way I couldn't explain. (Remember this-- it comes back later :) )
Being a member of Chorale also provided me with a unique opportunity in the form of a scholarship. I was selected to perform small-group music to various high schools in the region and share what college music looks like for non-music majors.
Being a member of Chorale also provided me with a unique opportunity in the form of a scholarship. I was selected to perform small-group music to various high schools in the region and share what college music looks like for non-music majors.
The Non-Major Scholarship recipients performing and answering questions at a local high school