Episode Notes | Episode Transcript | AskTheGuest
Hi Fives (5 Highlights) 3-Minute Listen
As a recent member of the University of Colorado Boulder Alumni, Maya Nelson looks back at her Undergraduate Experience in this podcast. Maya recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry.
The Sciences were Maya’s favorite courses in High School - Chemistry, Biology and Ecology. Especially Chemistry. It seemed aligned with the way her mind worked.
The great outdoors beckoned Maya to Colorado & pursue Biochemistry. She engaged in UG Research and believed that it has not only given her a deeper understanding of her discipline, but has also has made her more employable!
Maya joins us on our podcast to share her UG Experience at CU Boulder, UG Research, Hiking Expeditions, and Advice for high schoolers.
Hi-Fives from the Podcast are:
- Why CU Boulder?
- Transition to College
- UG Research
- Campus Hiking Club
- Advice for High Schoolers
For Podcast Takeaways, Insights and More, check out my Newsletter.
Episode Notes
Episode Title: Maya Nelson of CU Boulder: Biochemistry, UG Research Replicating Pathways, and the Hiking Club.
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter
The Sciences were Maya’s favorite courses in High School - Chemistry, Biology and Ecology. Especially Chemistry. It seemed aligned with the way her mind worked. Outside of class, she ran cross country, track.
Maya joins us on our podcast to share her UG Experience at CU Boulder, UG Research, Hiking Expeditions, and Advice for high schoolers.
In particular, we discuss the following with her:
- Overall Experience at CU Boulder
- UG Research
- Hiking Club
- Majoring in Biochemistry
- Advice to High Schoolers
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Introduction to Maya Nelson, CU Boulder [0:43]
- Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights [1:41]
- Overall CU Boulder Experience [4:16]
- Why CU Boulder? [4:54]
- High School Interests [6:16]
- Transition to College [8:07]
- Classmates [10:22]
- Professors and Teaching [11:07]
- UG Research - Synthetic Biology [12:12]
- Impact of Research [16:56]
- Campus Hiking Club [21:09]
- Majoring in Biochemistry [24:25]
- Grad School? [28:44]
- Advice for High Schoolers [29:54]
- Fond Memory [32:17]
Our Guests: Maya Nelson is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Memorable Quote: “But the more I've been doing research, and I'm so invested in this project, I'm asking questions about this project, answering them myself through lab work. It really, really deepens your understanding of the classes that you're in. And the classes that you're in, ironically, seem a little bit easier.” Maya Nelson.
Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.
Similar Episodes: College Experiences
Calls-to-action:
- Follow us on Instagram
- To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify.
Episode Transcript
Transcript of the episode’s audio.
Maya N 0:14
What should we do next? And we're looking at eyeing on these at these scooters laying on the ground. And oh, this is what we should do. So we get on these scooters, it's pretty late at night now you know 9,10, maybe 11pm. And we're skipping around Paris on a weekday with my lab mates and my professor to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I mean, I cannot describe what a vibe that is!
Venkat 0:43 [Introduction to Maya Nelson, CU Boulder]
That is Maya Nelson, who is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Hello! I am your host Venkat Raman.
The Sciences were Maya’s favorite courses in High School - Chemistry, Biology and Ecology.
Especially Chemistry.
It seemed aligned with the way her mind worked.
Outside of class, she ran cross country, track.
Venkat Raman 1:13
Maya joins us on our podcast to share her UG Experience at CU Boulder, UG Research, Hiking Expeditions, and Advice for high schoolers.
Venkat Raman 1:26
Before we jump into the podcast, here are the High-Fives, Five Highlights from the podcast:
Maya N 1:41 [Highlights - Hi Fives]
[Why CU Boulder?]
I knew 100 percent that I wanted to go to a school in Colorado. And the reason why I wanted to go to a school in Colorado is because it's such an outdoorsy state. And I was really really interested in learning how to go backpacking, how to go snowshoeing, camping, hiking, all that stuff. Colorado is the place for that.
[Transition to College]
Speaking to my friends that I had in high school who were in the same classes as me, it seemed that they also felt really well prepared by their IB curriculum. And I felt really, really lucky that I was set up so well, especially in like my Introduction to Biology classes.
[UG Research]
You know, our world is full of chemicals that we use for lots of things, you know, it might be medicine, it might be skincare, but molecules that are really, really high value in the manufacturing world. But they're really, really difficult to source. They might come from unethical sources, they might come from sources that are really low density and really expensive, and trying to make a more sustainable way of producing these really complex molecule.
[Campus Hiking Club]
I joined my university's hiking club. See, if you guys go to UC Boulder, you should look it up. It's a really fun club, we have a ton of members. And basically you sign up to go on these trips that the officers plan and you get to travel. I mean, I've gotten to Wyoming I've gotten to Utah, Arizona, all over Colorado.
[Advice for High Schoolers]
And then my other advice if you're a high schooler, bound for college, is in my experience, undergraduate research has made a huge difference in what I've gotten out of college. I understand that my course is much deeper, I've had so much fun with it. And it's also made me a pretty good candidate for jobs moving out of college.
Venkat Raman 3:34
These were the Hi5s, brought to you by College Matters. Alma Matters.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For my newsletter, visit almamatters.substack.com.
Venkat Raman 3:52
Now, I'm sure you want to hear the entire podcast with Maya.
So without further ado, here is Maya Nelson!
----------------------
Venkat Raman 4:00
So if you're ready, we can jump right in.
Maya N 4:04
Yep, sounds good. Awesome.
Venkat Raman 4:07
Okay, so maybe the best place to start is if you could look back at your CU Boulder years. How was that experience?
Maya N 4:16 [Overall CU Boulder Experience]
I absolutely loved going to CU Boulder. I actually originally had a pretty rough experience my freshman year where I got really, really sick and I withdrew my second semester at home. I was able to return to college. And I'm actually graduating this year in in spring. Yeah, so I've had a I've had a really really good time. It's been the perfect place for me. I've been able to do some undergraduate research and I've had a lot of fun making new friends and doing new things.
Venkat Raman 4:51
Why did you pick CU Boulder?
Maya N 4:54 [Why CU Boulder?]
Okay, so I actually do have a story about this. I knew what percent that I wanted to go to school and call Colorado. And the reason why I wanted to go to a school in Colorado is because it's such an outdoorsy state and I was really really interested in learning how to go backpacking, how to go snowshoeing, camping, hiking, all that stuff. Colorado is the place for that. So I was actually deciding between CSU Fort Collins and CU Boulder, and then tour until I had the opportunity to tour those two colleges that that I really really knew when I toured CU Boulder I felt right at home. I absolutely love the campus. I love the people on my tour. For my tour for CSU, Fort Collins, my family and I actually drove through a tornado warning to get to the campus and got to the campus and the tour guide goes Oh, thank god, you guys made it. We just had a tornado touchdown a few miles away from here. I'm from California. I'm not from a tornado place. And so the I think that they're so scary. I heard that and I just totally thought that that was like a cosmic sign. And so from there, I just knew that I was going to see you boulder
Venkat Raman 6:11
Very well. So tell us a little bit about your high school. What kind of things were you into?
Maya N 6:16 [High School Interests]
Yeah, so I had a great high school experience. I ran cross country and track my freshman year I did cheer. But one of the things that really had the most claim over my time in high school actually is I did a zero period leadership program. And so we put on all of our school events like our homecoming, Homecoming, skits and proms, dances, things like that art festivals. And we also planned a lot of like community outreach, Christmas events and things like that. Also did the IB program and I had a really good experience the IB program. It was definitely a harder coursework, but it prepared me really, really well for college.
Venkat Raman 6:59
So what kind of courses were you into? What did you sort of gravitate towards?
Maya N 7:05
So in high school, my favorite favorite courses, I took a ecology course and IB SL ecology and I loved I took IB HL biology, but my favorite course was actually not an IB course in my freshman or sophomore year, I took a chemistry class. And chemistry or my school didn't offer IB chemistry. But this regular chemistry class, I just had so much fun in it, I thought the content was really, really interesting. And I felt like it just clicked with the, with the way that my mind worked. It was actually that class that really pushed me towards pursuing a degree in biochemistry. Because I just enjoyed that class so much, and it wasn't even a class I expected to enjoy.
Venkat Raman 7:51
You decided to go to CU Boulder, and you make the trek to Colorado to Boulder. So what was that transition like? What was the switch from high school to college like?
Maya N 8:07 [Transition to College]
So one of the things that really, really stood out to me was how well IB curriculum prepared me for college. In high school and IB, my curriculum was so intense, I had so much homework. And I was sitting through the courses thinking this is so weird. I'm learning this in college because I think I learned this in high school, which I think is a really unique experience. I know that a lot of my friends who didn't do IB didn't have that experience. But speaking to my friends that I had in high school who were in the same classes as me, it seemed that they also felt really well prepared by their IB curriculum. And so I felt really, really lucky that I was set up so well, especially in like my Introduction to Biology classes. And one thing I did struggle with is my freshman year, I didn't have a job and I didn't have a car. And so for me that kind of actually felt like a loss of freedom, wasn't able to drive wherever I wanted. And I didn't have the money that I had in high school while I worked my jobs. But overall, it was really, really fun. And I do think that my high school experience prepared me well for college. My classmates in college have been really helpful. I've made a lot of my friends through my classes, specifically with my core major classes. People that I see really, really often and then I have classes with them every semester and I think that that gives you a really good opportunity to make friendships and study groups and kind of bond that way. Um, so I also think this I wasn't expecting this so much in college, but the friends I've made in my classes have been a huge support system and like helped me do better in my classes you know? Are they often understood topics that I didn't get quite so? Well, they made it more fun to come to class if it was an eight or 8:30am. Your friends there. And so definitely I think having good classmates can help.
Venkat Raman 10:18
Now, were they from Mostly from Colorado or were they from all over the place?
Maya N 10:22 [Classmates]
One interesting thing I think about CU Boulder is there. There's primarily students from Colorado, but it's also a ton of students from California. And so I feel like one out of every four students I would meet was also from California, which is so funny because I only knew two people going in to see you who were from California as well. So it was kind of nice to have that like cut immediate connection, like, where they grew up and stuff. So yeah, I guess it's kind of a joke at CU that like half the students, there are Californians.
Venkat Raman 11:02
What was the teaching, like, what are the professors like teaching the classes.
Maya N 11:07 [Professors and Teaching]
So a lot of my classes were pretty big, except, except a lot of my classes were really big. Especially the ones that weren't related to my major, like the more introductory courses that were offered kind of as Gen Ed's or electives. And as I've gotten further in my classes, they've gotten smaller and smaller, I'd say the average, like, class size is maybe around 40,30, or 20, to 40. My later years, and this has given me like a really good opportunity to know my professors a little bit better, you're sitting right up front with them. And I've been really impressed with the professors at CU Boulder, um, they've all been so friendly, so helpful, really, really invested in their research and knowledgeable. And I've learned a lot from them. I've gotten really, really lucky with a couple of my professors.
Venkat Raman 12:05
Now, let's sort of talk about undergraduate research. When or how did you discover that?
Maya N 12:12 [UG Research - Synthetic Biology]
So I actually got into undergraduate research because I had friends who were getting involved in undergraduate research, and I had this split moment of like, wait, wait a second, am I supposed to be doing this as well? Just because I didn't really know much about it. So I kind of dug around, did some research online on CU Boulder's website. And that's where I went to undergraduate research. My third year of college, I actually took a class that was like a synthetic synthetic biology course. And it was a lab work course that you were doing or you know, kind of working on this project for this lab, and absolutely loved it. And I ended up staying with a lab after the course finished. And that's how I got into undergraduate research.
Venkat Raman 13:00
So what what did you do? What was what was the research part?
Maya N 13:04
Yeah, so my research is in a MCBB lab, and we study how to replicate pathways, different biochemical pathways into you know, our world is full of chemicals that we use for lots of things, you know, it might be medicine, it might be skincare, but molecules that are really, really high value in the manufacturing world. But they're really, really difficult to source, they might come from unethical sources, they might come from sources that are really low density, and it really expensive. And so we're trying to make a more sustainable way of producing these really complex molecules in soybeans, and so I'm specifically working with a chemical called Paclitaxel, which is a really popular chemotherapeutic. And it only comes from you trees, and some associated fungus. And so people the most common way to source this drug, you know, people go around, and they pick off little leaves and twigs off these really, really slow growing trees. And so I'm trying to replicate that pathway into soybeans to make a more sustainable source for this cancer drug.
Venkat Raman 14:17
Awesome. And how far along are you with this? Are you still working on it?
Maya N 14:21
Yeah, so I guess this is the way that research works. But the more you into it, the more questions you have. It's totally like falling down the rabbit hole. But so far, we've been able to reproduce the first two intermediate, so this pathway, so there's 19 enzymes or proteins in this pathway that make the drug and I have the first two of them working in soybeans and right now I'm working on the next two.
Venkat Raman 14:49
So where do you see this going? This research?
Maya N 14:53
Um, well, I'm hoping my idea for producing these next intermediates are right, if that's the next intermediate term Trying to produce are kind of like the huge challenge for different research groups that are also trying to replicate this pathway and learn more about it. So I'm hoping that my, my labs ideas are correct. I'll know maybe in a month or two. Um, so, yeah, that's I'm hoping that I'm right. I'm hoping that I get ideas are right, and that I'm able to produce this whole drug in the in soybeans.
Venkat Raman 15:27
Of course, that's what research is about right. Now. Now, obviously, if this works out, then there'll be some publication or so right? You publish papers and sort of take it forward.
Maya N 15:40
Yeah, right. Now, our data is pretty cool. But we're hoping that this next step is extra extra cool, and would get us a good publication. But we'll have to wait and see it takes a little bit of patience.
Venkat Raman 15:52
Let me ask you this question. Now, is this something you want to do post graduation? Continue on this? Or is that? Is it a different? Is it a different pathway? Um, pardon the pun. Yeah.
Maya N 16:07
So I would, I would love to continue working on this pathway, a kind of depends on funding and what my lab is able to get. But I'm also in the process of applying for different jobs right now for a couple of different labs, and companies. And so I've been going through this app, application interview process, and then I'm kind of open to, to moving to a different problem, if that's where the opportunities take me.
Venkat Raman 16:42
Okay, so reflect a little bit on undergraduate research that you've done for the past, almost two years now? How has it impacted you? How is it making a difference to you?
Maya N 16:56 [Impact of Research]
So I was really, really surprised by this. And this wasn't the goal of, you know, me doing undergraduate research. It just kind of happened. But the more I've been doing research, and I'm so invested in this project, I'm asking questions about this project, answering them myself through lab work. It really, really deepens your understanding of the classes that you're in. And the classes that you're in, ironically, seem a little bit easier. Because you have guidance to know you have specific coursework that you're learning from. And I have so much fun doing my research in lab. And so it's definitely added to that aspect of joy. I think that, you know, college should make you happy. And you know, you should always be trying to find things in life that make you feel good. And I'm definitely really enjoying this undergraduate research. Another thing I kind of wanted to touch on, and this is a really, really cool undergraduate research experience. But I actually got to travel internationally with my lab, to Paris to France, or competition. And so this is my first like real experience traveling abroad outside of the US, it's obviously would be pretty expensive to do that otherwise, but you know, we have lights and Airbnb, funded by our school and some donors are national experience, getting to research abroad, and hear from, you know, other people's ideas and projects from all over the world was such a cool experience. And I think, really, really unique to undergraduate research.
Venkat Raman 18:33
No, that's terrific. That's terrific. Now, did you feel like you develop some skills, soft skills, hard skills? I'm sure. The research specifics? Definitely, but any other softer skills that you might not have picked up?
Maya N 18:49
Yeah, so definitely, definitely, it's an obvious opportunity to learn hard skills, you know, how do you run a gel? How do you do a plasmid extraction, things like that. But the soft skills is what I think makes the biggest difference. It's a lot of learning how to ask questions, learning how you learn best. And also, I think the learning the value of foresight. So when you're reading a protocol that's new to you, and you're practicing it in your mind, you're kind of thinking, Okay, what questions am I going to come across when I'm actually doing this experiment in person that I can ask now, so I'm not confused later. And a lot of that and a lot of soft skills kind of more like reading while communicating well with your lab mates. That so it's such a valuable experience for the soft skills that I don't think you really learned in coursework, but I think is so so important for, you know, continuing your research past your bachelor's degree, or continuing your research in industry.
Venkat Raman 19:55
Now, prior to doing research, did you read a lot of papers research papers. I mean, it was that sort of experience as well.
Maya N 20:04
So reading research papers was definitely part of some of my classes, but it was very, you know, handheld, maybe you had a day to read out on your own, and then you discuss it with your class. And reading scientific literature is, is really hard. You know, there's a lot of jargon, there's a lot of things that you maybe don't know. And it's usually an unfamiliar writing pattern, you know, like a novel that you would read. But in my lab, you know, as part of my work, and I'm trying to dig deeper into these problems, I'm practicing finding papers on my own, reading them on my own, learning how to scan through them to see if they're relevant in the first place, and then scanning through them for details that, you know, might only be one single sentence in the entire paper, but it's important to my work.
Venkat Raman 20:52
A little bit about being on campus, I mean, we you engaged in a number of campus activities, you join clubs or other organizations. How did you sort of, I don't want to say spend your time, but you're off academic.
Maya N 21:09 [Campus Hiking Club]
Yeah. Um, so I was able to get what I wanted out of my CU Boulder experience, and that's learning, you know, how to backpack and hike. And so she went all in all this. And I just was able to do this because I joined my university's hiking club. See, if you guys go to UC Boulder, you should look it up. It's a really fun club, we have a ton of members. And basically, you sign up to go on these trips that the officers plan, and you get to travel. I mean, I've gotten to Wyoming, I've gotten to Utah, Arizona, all over Colorado, to these really, really amazing, beautiful places, you know, the kind that you see in National Geographic magazines. And it's absolutely beautiful. And so last year, I became an officer for this club, and I started planning some trips of my own. And it's been a really, really fun process to, you know, kind of choose where you want to go plan these things out, and you meet so many awesome people from, you know, that's a huge club. So you're constantly meeting new people. And yeah, just traveling all over New York, Colorado, and it's beautiful. It's fun. It's exciting. And that's how I've spent a significant chunk of my time with a campus activity.
Venkat Raman 22:28
No, that's great. I mean, I, you chose Colorado for that, and you got to do it. So that's awesome. Now, how about the summers? Were you working during summers? What did you do?
Maya N 22:45
Um, so I did work during my summers. So my first college summer I went back home and I worked at my high school job. I was a lifeguard and then made pretty good money during that. And then my next two summers. So I was trying to think about this, and it's a little bit blurred because of COVID. So the college experience was impacted by COVID. There was a lot of time spent at home. I know for some of the summers, the next two summers, I worked for my city pools, so also as a lifeguard but also as a shift supervisor. And then I taught Red Cross courses, or American red versus some dogs on wag and then the last two summers, I did lab work part time. So this was I was able to do this partially because I received a grant for undergraduate lab work, and then partially funded I guess, by my other jobs that I was doing outside of the lab work.
Venkat Raman 23:46
Very good. Very good. So you've got a good mix of things.
Maya N 23:50
Yeah, they're good mix of things. Looking back, I do wish I had done more internships, but I think that I gotten pretty distracted by COVID and I also got distracted by the pretty decent money you make as a lifeguard
Venkat Raman 24:06
you know, yeah, money is a big distraction. You're right.
Venkat Raman 24:14
So Maya you said you went to CU Boulder to study biochemistry? How did you arrive at that? What's what's kind of the backstory there?
Maya N 24:25 [Majoring in Biochemistry]
Yeah, so I think I had a lot of moments that kind of pushed me towards biochemistry, my middle school biology teacher, Mrs. Moore, she made all her students do a science fair where we had to find an independent science project work on it over the course of the school year, and present like at a science fair at the end of the year.
And so I remember being so stressed about finding the perfect projects, I was scouring the internet for days trying to like find something a real science project and is that finding a project talking about geotropism in radish roots.
So Geotropism has Here is how plants respond to gravity. And this stood out to me first of all, because I had no idea what geotropism was now at that time. it sounded like a huge, you know, very scientific word. And so that caught my interest. And I remember being so frustrated because I was trying to do some reading about this and learn on learn about it on my own.
And everything I was able to read about why a geotropism, happened or what caused it, it didn't go in depth enough to actually explain how geotropism works. And everything I could find that I'm sure actually had a good explanation was too complicated for me to read and understand, because seventh grade, and so I ended up doing this project, and I won the seventh grade science fair, which was a very cool moment.
But despite that, I just feeling so frustrated that this project was like too hard for me to feel like I actually understood it. And I wasn't satisfied with the, you know, with what I had learned about it. And so all of it. So then moving on to high school, it wasn't until I took chemistry classes, my first chemistry class, and then my IB biology and ecology classes that I felt like I was starting to understand similar problems at a level that fell actually like a good explanation, you know, like it wasn't a summary or skipping over the details. Sure. So, past college, you know, I understand your trip isn't better now. But I think that initial frustration with not feeling like I had the information that I wanted to, to, to have was really what pushed me more towards biochemistry. Because I want to understand that at its base level,
Venkat Raman 26:50
that's awesome. That's awesome. I mean, you know, you converted a frustration into a passion. And now, hopefully a career, right?
Maya N 27:00
Yeah. Yeah. Now looking back on it, I think, I think the fact that I was so frustrated about that problem, just meant that I was really interested in it, and that I cared enough about it to feel that frustration in the first place.
Venkat Raman 27:15
Tell us about biochemistry as a major now. I mean, has that has that worked out the way you envisioned?
Maya N 27:23
Yes. And I think that I'm very, very lucky. And I don't think it's, you know, I think people choose a college major going in, and I don't think that they always stick with it. But I was lucky in the sense that I really loved my coursework, and I felt that I was on the right track. One thing I noticed about my biochemistry coursework that I thought was really funny, as we seem to have these like, quote, weed out classes until like, my last semester of college, you know, just everything was a quote, weed out course, because it was, um, but yeah, I had really good teachers. And for me, the biggest thing about my major in biochemistry is it felt like, the right level of explanation for the questions that I had, were standing like, these molecular interactions on an organic chemistry level, or, you know, a little bit of a physical chemistry level. But also, understanding these problems as on a biology level have a whole network of different things interacting with each other. I liked it because it was a satisfactory level of information, you know, it answered my questions. And so. So in the spring, I'm getting my bachelor's in biochemistry, and I'm also receiving a Certificate of Public Health
Venkat Raman 28:40
Is there a grad school in your future?
Maya N 28:44 [Grad School?]
Um, you know what I'm actually not sure. Um, it's not in the near future, or immediate future. But I am kind of considering graduate school, maybe in the next five or six years, I definitely want to get some experience working in different labs or industry first. And I want some time to save up some money for graduate school to make that PhD salary a little bit easier. But I'm also looking for a little bit more focus, I have an idea of the problems that really, really interests me. And so I think having a little bit of a break between, you know, bachelor's and graduate degrees can be really helpful for some people. And so I'm kind of seeing how the next few years play out.
Venkat Raman 29:33
So Maya, gonna ask you to give some advice to high schoolers. I mean, you've gone through what looks like a great experience. You got to do a number of wonderful things in college. So what would you tell high schoolers? What are some things to keep in mind?
Maya N 29:54 [Advice for High Schoolers]
So this is advice that I was given by my parents and I really, really appreciate day to day. And obviously, it depends, you know, on your budget, how comfortable you are with moving, you know, a certain distance away from home. But the biggest thing that was emphasized to me is that during college, you're going through a rapid transformation in your life, you're gaining independence, and you're living there for at least four years. So you should choose somewhere that you would really, really like to live. And so when I chose Boulder, I chose new it presented the opportunity. You know, my personal life and my personal goals. And I'm so happy I made that decision. Because realistically, there are a lot of colleges that will offer you a very good education. And there are colleges that exist in places you would want to live and be happy at. And so that's, that's one of my advice. Choose the school, you'll be happy at with your day to day life. And then as far as choosing a major or something, I chose my major because I really, really enjoyed my high school coursework that was relevant to that. And I just ended up getting lucky. But I know a lot of people who have gone in as undecided, or who have gone in with maybe a vague idea, but they've changed it later. And it's really okay to do that. It's not uncommon at all. And then my other advice, if you're a high schooler, bound for college, is, in my experience, undergraduate research has made a huge difference in what I've gotten out of college, I understand that my course is much deeper, I've had so much fun with it. And it's also made me a pretty good candidate for jobs moving out of college. And so I would really recommend looking into it your second half of freshman year. Whatever college you go to, you should be able to find the information online. Or if you're still in the process of choosing colleges, and you know that you want to do undergraduate research, maybe plan ahead and ask questions about what opportunities your your school offers for that.
Venkat Raman 32:04
So Maya, we're gonna start winding down here. But before I let you go, any memory or anecdote or vignette you want to share from your college days?
Maya N 32:17 [Fond Memory]
Um, yeah, I have, I guess I have a memory. And I hope that this can convinces people to look into undergraduate research. Like I said, I got to travel internationally abroad for the first time in my life as part of my research experience. So we went to Paris, France, and one of my fondest college memories is we know our first couple days in the city, we're staying in this really beautiful area be we go to an amazing river dinner cruise, have an amazing dinner. And then we get off the cruise. And, you know, we're like, oh, what should we do next, then we're looking for I hang on these at these scooters laying on the ground. And, oh, this is what we should do. So we get on these scooters, it's pretty late at night. Now, you know, 910, maybe 11pm. And we're skipping around Paris, on a weekday with my lab mates and my professor to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I mean, I cannot describe what a vibe that is or like, what an out of body like surreal experience, it was like not at all what I imagined my college experience to include. But I'm so glad that it did. Because that time was just so fun, like really, really a peak of my college experience. To be going around Paris, in the middle of the night with my lab mates and my professor, like just a total vibe. And I have a couple of other but I think that that's maybe the one that would convince most people that pursue undergraduate research.
Venkat Raman 33:50
Okay, well, that's a fantastic story. So Maya, thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your experiences. truly fascinating and enjoyable. And I'm sure there are a lot more great things to come in the future. We'll stay in touch with right now. Take care be safe. Thank you so much.
Maya N 34:11
Thank you so much, Venkat. It was amazing. Speak with you. And thank you for having me on your podcast.
Venkat Raman 34:16
Absolutely. Thank you so much. Take care. Bye. Bye
---------------------
Venkat 34:26 [Close]
Hi again!
Hope you enjoyed our podcast with Maya Nelson on her undergraduate experiences at the Univ of Colorado Boulder.
The great outdoors beckoned Maya to Colorado & pursue Biochemistry.
She was engaged in UG Research and believes that it has not only given her a deeper understanding of her discipline, but has also has made her more employable!
Maya joined the hiking club to experience Colorado and the neighboring states.
I hope Maya’s experience motivates you to check out U of Colorado Boulder for your own UG program.
For your questions or comments on this podcast, please email podcast at almamatters.io [podcast@almamatters.io].
Thank you all so much for listening to our podcast today.
Transcripts for this podcast and previous podcasts are on almamatters.io forward slash podcasts [almamatters.io/podcasts].
To stay connected with us, Subscribe to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify or visit anchor.fm forward slash almamatters [anchor.fm/almamatters] to check us out.
Till we meet again, take care and be safe.
Thank you!