From first-year to faculty: How to succeed in your first year as a STEM major

Science and technology students and faculty share pieces of advice for incoming undergraduates

BY: NAREN KRISHNA JEGAN – science@theaggie.org

As you walk across campus through the blazing heat, surrounded by what seems like massive herds of people following various signs, you may feel a number of emotions as the new school year begins. While excitement and curiosity to explore campus for both new and returning students runs wild, there is a recurrent touch of nervousness as you explore new coursework, opportunities and experiences. 

With the start of the new academic year coming soon, we wanted to gather faculty and student perspectives on how to nail your science, technology, engineering and math coursework; Parinitha Balaji, a rising third-year human biology major, remembers how she spent her first quarters at UC Davis exploring the club scene. 

“Joining clubs and exploring the activities that UC Davis has to offer is a great way to build connections and life experiences,” Balaji said. “I was always interested in working in the health care field, but I wanted to find a way to get hands-on experience from a technology standpoint; I learned about the UC Davis Medical Device Club and I was hooked […] I’m so glad I was able to explore and continue something that I was passionate about since high school.”

Now the vice president of the UC Davis Medical Device Club, Balaji and her team hope to host workshops and tutorials for students interested in exploring the intersection of biology and technology.

Max He, a rising third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, shared similar thoughts on the topic of building strong habits. As a student researcher and semi-professional powerlifter, He recalls the importance of using a calendar and being upfront about communication.

“Communication and preparation are key, whether you’re going to the gym or preparing for your classes,” He said. “I’ve used a Google Calendar since my first year to track when and where I need to be; it takes so much off my plate (pun intended).”

This year, He plans to participate in several powerlifting competitions while deepening his research experiences at the UC Davis Medical and Veterinary Centers to become a forensic pathology assistant.

Dr. Mitchell Singer is professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at UC Davis. Dr. Singer teaches several large undergraduate biology and microbiology courses such as Biology 2 (BIO2: Molecules to Cells) and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 102 (MMG 102: Introductory Microbiology). On the topic of balancing school and life, Singer offers a few pieces of advice for students.

“College is great fun and a place to not only learn about your major, but life,” Singer said. “[Students] have to navigate new relationships and build new friendships. It’s a lot. So, as my father would tell me, study hard because that is why you are there. But live life just as hard.”

Dr. Singer reminisced about one of the most memorable experiences he had as a student: working with study groups.

“I had several, both as an undergraduate and graduate student,” he mentioned. “Our sessions would go on for hours, ordering pizza while making our own study guides. It also turned out that my study group turned into my Dungeons & Dragons group as an undergrad. So there was a lot of studying and killing at the same time.” 

On the topic of communication, Dr. Singer emphasized the importance of meeting and talking with professors.

“Get to know your professor,” Dr. Singer emphasized. “They don’t bite, at least not very hard. Believe it or not, they actually want to help and are willing to go the extra mile if students are willing to go the distance with them. Go to office hours and talk to them; ask them about their research and their scholarly activities. Professors' favorite thing to talk about is usually their work. If you get to know them, we are more likely to help and write a great letter of recommendation someday.” 

He concluded by offering some studying advice for students.

“College is a completely different ball game than high school,” he said. “The quarter system moves really fast, so the classic strategy of cramming the night before won’t work anymore. Although it seems like overkill, start studying a week ahead of your exams so that you know what your strong and weak points are.” 

Whether it's your first time visiting UC Davis as an undergrad or your final year here, the quarters go by quickly and it's easy to let them blur together in a stretch of midterms and deadlines. But the students who get the most out of university tend to be the ones who treat it as more than a series of exams. They go to the office hours before they need something, they ask the question they're afraid sounds stupid and they introduce themselves first to professors.

The advice above costs nothing to follow and the professors here are waiting to be asked.

Written by: Naren Krishna Jegan — science@theaggie.org