Highlights

• I declared my major in Neuroscience. My major application process was sentimental, as I realized how far I've come since my first quarter at UW. In the span of two weeks, I was beyond thrilled to be accepted into both the Biology and Neuroscience majors! I eventually declared my major in Neuroscience—the program I have been aiming for since I was in high school—and I am deeply thankful for my family, professors, advisers, and peers who have supported me throughout this journey. It still feels surreal but I'm excited to start the neuro sequence with my cohort next quarter!

• I was awarded the Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship. With nearly 90 mentors/mentees and three events throughout the quarter, the Honors Peer Mentoring Program was a huge success. I also decided to use this project in my application for the Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship and now, I'm honored to officially be a Mary Gates Scholar! I couldn't have launched this program without my mentor and fellow committee members and I look forward to presenting the work we've done in the Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership in May.

• I explored my perspective of leadership. Along with directing the Honors Peer Mentoring Program, my quarter was filled with other experiences such as volunteering as a Dawg Daze Leader, being a Peer Educator, leading the Honors Community Ambassadors, and being an Undergraduate Research Leader. Although balancing these roles wasn't easy, I'm grateful that I got to create meaningful connections with my peers while learning more about the kind of student leader I want to be.

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Challenges

• Adjusting to in-person college life had a learning curve. This quarter was reminiscent of my freshman fall quarter because I had to figure out how long it took to walk to my classes, dress for the weather, and plan out what to eat. After moving into my apartment, I found myself experimenting a lot with my schedule and meals. But with this adjustment period finally being over, I believe that my in-person college experience for the rest of the year will be much smoother.

• Physics was a wake-up call. On my first midterm, I received a score that was barely above the average, which made me realize I had to put in much more effort to understand physics than I had for other subjects. Fortunately, this challenge turned into an accomplishment by the end of the quarter, as I walked out of the final exam actually feeling confident about my score. I have always struggled on final exams so this was a huge milestone for me and I hope my new study skills will make the next course in the sequence more enjoyable.

• My research project is stuck. In the nine months that have passed since starting my research project, I have learned how to record with an electrophysiology system, gained a better understanding of evoked potentials (EPs), and observed implant surgeries. In spite of these experiences, I have yet to see EPs in the rats I record with and it's difficult to determine whether the issue stems from the surgeries or technology. After much discussion with my PI, we decided that I will be joining her project in the Primate Research Center next quarter. This opportunity will allow me to work with a new species and improve my data collection and analysis skills while I continue to figure out the kinks of my own project.

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Goals

• Decide if I want to pursue College Honors. Since I've finished most of the Interdisciplinary Honors requirements and declared my major, I am considering the College Honors path, which means I would be completing both Interdisciplinary Honors and Departmental Honors. By taking NEUSCI 301, continuing my research experiences, and meeting with my advisers, I hope I'll be able to make a decision next quarter.

• Secure a research opportunity for next summer. With a major, higher GPA, and research experience, I'm more confident in applying to summer internships and research programs. I plan to complete most of the applications over winter break and make use of the Undergraduate Research Program advising resources prior to submitting them.

• Follow a realistic plan for studying Korean. I couldn't stick to the ambitious study schedule I followed over the summer because I was so busy this quarter. However, I still found ways to incorporate the language into my life, whether it be calling my parents in Korean every night, watching dramas without subtitles, or ordering food in Korean. Taking this into consideration, I'd like to make a realistic yet effective study schedule for the upcoming quarter that will allow me to further my reading, writing, and speaking skills.