Undergraduate / Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you. [4]

Hypothesis: If I memorize the whole AP Biology book verbatim, then I will automatically understand the subject and do well in the class.

The paramount objective associated with the field of science as a whole primarily has to do with proving and disproving hypotheses towards the pursuit of progress.

After internally proposing my hypothesis and executing it, I promptly realized that it was fallacious. Refusing to give up, I manipulated the variables. I spent more time memorizing and rewriting the textbook. Disappointingly though, the results were no different. Reaching the brink of personal anguish, I finally realized that changing the variables would not account for any substantial differences. I would have to amend my own studying methods.

Rather than memorizing, I began to understand and comprehend everything I read and heard. Through this class I recognized the importance of deep vs surface comprehension. To truly be one with what you learn, you cannot simply just spit out what you read. Ap Biology taught me to see the beauty in taking the initiative to go the extra mile. After all, scientific discoveries are not made by parrots who refuse to question what their surroundings, rather they are made by contemplative birds who fly up and above, rising to the occasion.

Science is not as simple as an If/Then statement. The complexity behind the subject and the manner in which science allowed me to dwell in the realms of infinite possibilities let me gain a feeling of independence. I no longer depend on being spoon fed information, rather I search for ideas and answers on my own. The inquisitive excitement, curiosity, and openness towards comprehending biology is what propelled me to enroll at the CSU Biotechnology camp over the summer. It is through this camp that I unearthed and recognized my inclination for biology; ultimately declaring that I would direct the rest of my academic career towards the pursuit of science.

Conclusion: My hypothesis was proven false, however, the lessons I obtained allowed me to acknowledge how science helps us overcome our own limitations and provide order for a complex universe.