Undergraduate / 'No playtime and television' - Cornell CALS supplemental essay- why biology? [3]

How have your interests and related experiences influenced the major you have selected in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences?

As a child all I ever really cared about was playtime and television. The only interests I had were to have fun. But with health issues since birth, I'd find myself in the hospital a lot. As I grew older, my curiosity started to grow with each trip to the hospital. With each new procedure I went through I started to question what they were doing and why they were doing it. Why are they taking my blood? How is this machine helping my cough? How is this awful medicine going to make me feel better when it tastes so bad? So many questions came to my mind that went unanswered for many years.

It was hard to get answers to such questions for such a young child, but I was delighted when I started to learn science in school. I started my first real biology class in the 6th grade. We mostly did plant biology, but I was still fascinated by what we were learning. I knew plants were considered a "living object", but I didn't understand what that meant until I took that class. I was captivated by how they were living. They're process of getting food, obtaining water, and reproducing was so compelling. My interest for biology had already been established by learning about the wonders of life. However, when I was finally able to learn about humans and how we work; my questions from childhood were finally being answered.

With encouragement from my family and a healthy dose of curiosity I wanted to become a doctor. More time at the hospital at an older, more mature age, I understood why I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Knowing how humans work and how we can fix problems within the human body is something that I find exciting. It is my passion to do my part in society by making it healthier.

I chose to do Biological Sciences as a major in Undergrad so I can have a better understanding of how life works. Under the Biological Sciences Major I saw many classes that I think I would enjoy. One of these classes is the Human Microbes and Health class. I'd love to learn about how microbes can benefit our health but also cause disease. Also, the major covers a wide range of biology with many subdivisions from the smallest organisms to the largest.

I've researched many colleges in my search for an undergraduate school. In Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences I saw the many opportunities for me there. I like that rather limiting the learning experience to classrooms, there are also a lot of research opportunities available. In addition, the advising provided can help make the whole college experience less stressful. Another beneficial thing is the Career Development Office. By helping me get hands on experience at an internship I can be prepared for the future when I enter the work field.