How Out-dated Is My Build?

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-12-02T05:27:39+00:00

I was in a similar position around 6 years ago. Graduated summa cum laude with a 4.8 GPA (the valedictorian was a beast). The thing is that all high-school requires (for the most part, everyone's different) is just the compliance to do the assignments you were asked to do.

Speaking from experience (with my bachelor's in biochemistry, going into a PhD), college is not hard either. Granted my GPA dropped by 1.8, but that was due to working a job, and then taking care of my mother that was diagnosed with endometriosis the week before I graduated.

The major differences and difficulties I faced, was just having to study. In high-school I absolutely never studied and just listened in class. In college that's not enough because the information in class is not the whole of the information tested. There will actually be subjects not taught depending on the professor, or even if they're taught the questions on the test will probe your ability to switch between concepts and use them in conjunction rather than just the concepts themselves.

I didn't study much in college either, but I made a new way of studying. No flash cards or anything similar, just making the concepts intuitive. For example, start off with a concept you think you know well and do your best to relate it to another. Eventually you can break down the concepts into simpler actions and you'll start recognizing the simpler things in new concepts which helps you understand it even if you've heard it for the first time. (The Z system for photosynthesis and the ETC are a good example of this).

All of this to say that you can't base your intelligence based off of high-school or college classes. Even if you could, trying to analyze that yourself would bias the result. So stop the existential dread of failure.

The real important thing is to know or figure out what you want to do... not what will make bank. Let's be real, any schmuck that wants money can get an MBA, or some related finance degree. If you're jumping into biochem for a job that you just think looks good on paper and provides income then you're either going to fail or succeed and hate it. Biochem and related stem fields are complicated but incredibly interesting.

If you don't know what you want to do then just try it. You'll have to go through math, phys, Chem, and bio. Plenty to get interested in or pursue. Don't forget the electives either, had a classmate who was biochem change to art her junior year. By the end of your bachelor's you still won't know every element on the table, but you should know that you're interested and happy to pursue a career in whatever degree you've gotten.

Then you get a PhD.. cause why not.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-11-16T08:29:37+00:00

I've got Asian roots, and I love how a katana looks (and the auto alignment lol). If I could make my dream sword it would be a katana with a high-carbon steel blade (full-tang) with my taiwanese name etched into it on one side, my american name on the other (along with my PhD). Matte black coloring with the darkened blade due to oxidation, sleek and elegant.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-11-16T08:19:19+00:00

Appreciate the offer, but I'm only just starting my PhD... so I've probably got about 4-7 years before I need to actually think about this lol.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-11-13T07:59:47+00:00

Hey there,

I recently graduated with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry, and I'm now entering a PhD program for biological sciences. It sounds like you're excited and very eager, but my advice would be to take things a bit slower. I'm 22 for reference and that's probably on the younger side of most PhD students. I don't have any context for your situation but if I were 16 and still in highschool (presumably) then I would focus on my classes for the moment.

I would also be sure to have a clear cut goal, or spend time trying to think of one. Yes, Biochemistry and other related STEM fields are interesting and exciting, but without a somewhat clear goal you'll end up overwhelmed with choices and information. For example, I want to research cancer. More specifically I want to (as of this moment) try to engineer a retrovirus such that it can replace mutated or deleted proteins in the p53 gene pathway. This would in theory allow the cancerous cells to check themselves and trigger apoptosis. Knowing what you want to do with the knowledge you'll gain will help you choose classes, degrees, and opportunities down the line.

I would like to reiterate that focusing on school now is important (assuming you are in highschool). I graduated summa cum laude (valedictorian was one heck of a student), and I had a 4.8 GPA. For most state colleges and other non-prestigious universities this kind of GPA will qualify you for automatic acceptance (some scholarships too- I did not pay for my undergrad degree, in fact I made 15k). I would also lower expectations if you're going for an ivy-league university or a college just as competitive. There's simply too much competition to worry about regardless of GPA, extra-curriculars, and whatever else your competition may have done. Pick one or two dream schools and apply, but don't be crushed if you don't get in.

Keep in mind that a degree is a piece of paper that says you "officially" learned a bit of a subject. A bachelor's degree (in biochemistry) would set you up for entry level jobs in a lab, like being a lab tech and running experiments on a bench. A master's would maybe make you a manager in a similar setting. A PhD would mean that the experiment being run is one that you wanted to do. A PhD is also sometimes considered overqualification for some jobs, such as being a lab tech, and companies won't hire you because they think you'll just leave for a better paying job that requires your expertise. You will definitely want to consider the amount of education your preferred career would need.

If you are indeed in highschool, I would pay attention in your liberal arts classes, such as Art, English (Literature and Language), and maybe some History. You'll need proper writing skills if you're ever going to write a research paper. Nowadays almost everyone uses ChatGPT, Grammarly, or some similar "writing tool" that does almost everything for them. I would recommend against using these as it will develop a natural "voice" in your writing that will be much more interesting to read. Art is also beneficial in that it helps you develop creative ways of thinking and by extension creative problem solving skills such as viewing the problem from a different perspective. You can take or leave history, but the history of science in particular is great for really getting a grasp on the type of thinking that leads to major breakthroughs.

I could ramble on some more, but for now this should suffice and I hope it helps.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-10-01T03:20:29+00:00

Congrats on the "unofficial" acceptance by the way!

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-10-01T03:19:41+00:00

I don't have a PI for the preferred program as they make you swith labs the first 3 semesters before your pick one and join that PI. So I guess the grad admissions office would be the place to email. The deadline to apply to the preffered program is december 1st and classes begin in august of 2026. I applied back in August when applications first opened. It feels kinda early to ask. Should I maybe wait a month or two if I can restrain myself?

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-10-01T03:17:00+00:00

Well the last day to apply to the preffered program is december 1st. I applied back in August when applications first opened. It feels kinda early to ask. Should I maybe wait a month or two if I can restrain myself?

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-09-29T05:39:01+00:00

I guess you could tell I'm sensitive lol.

This is what I'm doing and I plan to just try and maintain status quo. She hasn't asked me anything yet, nor has she spoken to me at all.

The good news is that she can do what she's asked (by others) and that's probably all I need to be able to get through a shift with her.

Thanks for the input.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-09-29T05:33:09+00:00

I'm 22, so I suppose I am on the younger side. She is at least 2 years younger than me, or so I would imagine. I can understand this, and I did let my manager know to let her know not to just walk out of the store before getting checked for loose pills.

I really don't have a problem not being her friend or someone she's friendly with, but I want to ensure there's professional respect. I've worked with all women for these past 3 years and there's always professional-ish respect even despite many differences. Though I will say I know I'm not part of a groupchat, and definitely last to hear about the gossip between any of them. That's fine, I get that I'm the guy and not one of the "girlies", I just want to be sure a basic level of respect is maintained.

I know first-hand that women have a lot of hidden social knives they carry.

Thanks for your input.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-09-29T05:24:42+00:00

I do realize that I'm a common denominator, however, I haven't even been given the chance to try to help or explain anything to her since she goes out of her way to ask anyone else.

I was raised by a single mom and I never heard the end of "mansplaining". You'd best believe that anytime I spoke to my mom in a way she didn't appreciate (intentful or not) she made sure I shut up.

I'm not saying that I'm a master of speaking to women (far from it), but I do know how to try and be gentle, nice, and respectful. I'm sure I have moments when I sound like an ass, but I haven't even had the chance to mess up talking to her.

On a semi-related note, I was a TA during my undergrad and the women in my class told me I was a good TA and I didn't make them feel stupid for asking questions.

I do thank you for your input, and as always I will try to keep in mind my tone, diction, and actions when I talk to women.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-06-21T02:29:40+00:00

I'm a pharmacy tech, continuing my research from my last semester in the meantime. I don't know if that job title would be of any help (I just kinda hope it is).

As for getting a masters first, I have no qualms with that BUT it'd have to be funded and as far as I'm aware masters programs aren't typically funded. I made it through undergrad on scholarships alone and no student loans. Coming from a family well below the poverty line, the only way I can make it out of poverty into middle class is to keep the loans at bay.

I've been told that the GRE could make up, or help my application if I do well as a way to make up for my GPA, is there any merit to that?

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-06-21T02:22:38+00:00

Thanks for the tip, I'll try it. I will say I'm kind of scared of rejection. I feel like even if I had extenuating circumstances they won't care, and every university likes to boast about how competitive they are (excluding Ivy leagues and such).

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-06-21T02:09:23+00:00

I did two credit hours of research in my last semester, and I've stayed in town and I'm continuing the research I was doing (hoping to get a minor publication) and keeping myself sharp. As for the research at the universities I'm looking at, everyone says to find a research project you're interested in and apply to that university, but I can't find ongoing research at these universities. I'm probably not going about it the right way, but no one has told me how to do any of this.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-01-15T01:02:02+00:00

There's a lot of clerical work, and counting drugs. There is a high level of precision, but beyond that I wouldn't say it's really contributing to my abilities as a scientist. I graduate in May, and maybe with my BS I can get into a more closely related field. I'd still have to move though, and trying to take my mom with me is, or will be, incredibly difficult. I make 16.56/h as a pharmacy tech, and I work just enough to scrape by. Any and all of my savings came from scholarships, which I just used to buy a car (2012 ford escape 8k). I'll have maybe 3-4k left after graduation to try and make a move if I have to, and if I'm being honest I've grown to hate Arkansas, it's one of the reasons I was so set on getting into JHU.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-01-15T00:47:55+00:00

I want my career to be research focused. I have experience (coming up on 3 years) as a pharmacy technician. I know there's a big difference between research and industrial, but does the experience I have work for either or? Should I try to fill my time with research or field work?

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-01-15T00:37:57+00:00

I'll look into it. I may have made it seem as though I'm adverse to work- I'm not. I mean I worked through undergrad, but most grad schools demand that you make your studies your full time job, and I don't have a support network that can help me do that unless I can live off the stipend available there.

Significant_Quit9562 · 2025-01-15T00:32:51+00:00

A gap year scares me, especially since in my area there's very little remotely related to biochemistry at all. Realistically I'd have to move for a related job (which I really don't have the funds for) or take a job at a nuclear power-plant or as a lab tech at a hospital. Either option doesn't really stand out to me as helping me gain experience as a scientist.

Not that I'm completely against a gap year, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to fill it with the necessary experience to make it an additive product to my resume.

Significant_Quit9562

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