Science week- Reality

The final post of the Science Week three part series.

To every story somewhere in the middle there is the truth. Everyone in science will have a different story. So here is my current reality:

Are there things that grind my gears? Yes

Has lack of good mentorship directly affected me? Yes

Do I feel sick to my stomach sometimes due to imposter syndrome and anxiety? Yes

My why

On the flipside of my fear and the constant barriers the list of what drives me and why I do it is never ending. I am passionate and even with all the bad days (as frequent as they are) I latch on to my initial passion and desire.

For the big dreams I have which include accessibility and creating more opportunities in Africa- specifically starting with Sierra Leone, my journey is influenced by the knowledge I can gain that is applicable to "home" and all the transferrable skills a science degree gives me.

I find that with all the conversations I have, understanding “why” you do something keeps you on the straight and narrow!

Personally my why doesn’t specifically change but it is adjusted to what is important to me. I will always love studying and studying science specifically but there are real life things that come into play. Understanding the lifestyle you want in the future and sometimes the typical scientific path may not give you that. The reality of doing science is that you aren’t just doing science, life has its way of interrupting and throwing loads of things at you. My perfect world would allow me to just do science and alongside a decent monetary reward shall follow- a girl has got to survive and afford an endless supply of Fenty Beauty.

I ask everyone I interview why they chose to do science for a specific reason. Your why will keep you going on the days when everything feels like its failing. Your why will remind you that you can be that badass scientist!

I stress about the future a lot, but pursuing science has really taught me how to still be at the top of my game even when the end point isn’t 100% clear. The transferrable skills gained from pursuing a science degree are endless. Just to name a few:

1. Organisation: if you do a lab based degree, there is no way you don’t come out with better organisation skills

2. Adaptability: science is forever changing and you have to welcome all the new ideas/ theories

3. Perseverance: things fail ALL THE TIME!

4. Problem solving: that is literally the aim of most sciences, problem solving for human benefit

5. Quick learning: you are often learning new concepts in a short amount of time.

Most science fields overlap and you learn a little of everything that at worst you would have a basic level of something that can spark a new career. You are also so used to taking in a lot of knowledge and constantly learning something new, you can adapt to change, and I believe teach yourself almost anything.

My current masters has me learning physics and I have a background in physiology, the combination allows me to be able to help diagnose heart diseases. My background in pharmacology means I can understand drug mechanisms and other clinical symptoms that patients may present even though I didn’t specifically study medicine.

The community

The reality of science is although it can be hard without guidance, the online community I mentioned before is AMAZING. This has to be my favourite part, ever since starting this blog and engaging more online, i have built so many connections and there is an endless amount of support and motivation.

I have met the most amazing people through twitter specifically. The connections I have built are meaningful and it’s a great feeling, interacting with peers that are on the same wavelength as you. They understand your struggles and you can share things without judgement.

I hope you enjoyed the series :) To stay up to date with all TCIM content subscribe to the newsletter :)

Adama x