Yetunde Odunsi, Double major in Biology / Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Nigeria, Class of 2008
In Her Own Words
I grew up between Nigeria and the UK… a strange combination but it worked for me! I’m the eldest of three – I’ve a brother and a sister.
Anyway, after all of that I signed up for Jacobs to study Biology and Biochem and cell biology. But what I really signed up for was campus life: I was into everything, from ballroom dancing to debating, student parliament (that year I was the only girl) to salsa. You’ll notice a bit of dancing coming up here, this is what I’m really into. In my first year I helped establish the breakdancing club.
Great fun, and all to play for, but some of it was serious stuff: one of the best events I organized and hosted was the women’s conference, bringing in big-shot women from Germany and beyond to talk about who they were and how they got there. A real eye-opener. I was also a teaching assistant for biology which was great experience – with thousands of nomenclatures this was no easy job.
I lived with a ton of international students in C3 for the three years I was at Jacobs, and there was real college spirit there, too.
Anyway so I’m hoping to go on to be a medical student, either to practice or to go into medical research. I would love to go back to England or N. America, Johns Hopkins would be a great place for me I think. But before that, I think I’ll take a year off. I’m looking for work and I just want to hang out for a year.
FIRST THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW
I loved doing this, and the Deutsche Welle guy was great, really friendly. But I have to admit that as a final year student, things got a bit intense for me at the end there. Particularly around graduation, when I was signing my friend’s books and feeling a little teary… I found it hard to be on camera when I was at my most vulnerable.
Also, I hope I don’t give the impression that everyone is into everything at Jacobs. There are some really focused students at Jacobs, focused on their studies and in their play. It’s just that some of us (like me, I guess) dabble in everything.
What I hope is that the DW show will let everyone see how we all are on campus, not just this one kid!
TOUGHTS ON JACOBS ...
What makes Jacobs a special place for academics is the focused attention one receives from the Professors. It makes a difference when a lecturer knows your name and gives encouragement when you are struggling or praise when you are doing well.
Also, the emphasis on the practical. Most courses incorporate practical skills that you will need. E.g. the number of presentations one gives tends to increase every year, one learns to research efficiently for seminar discussions and discussions that come up during or after presentation sessions.
In the life science courses, we are exposed to the "real world" because we are encouraged to read and discuss scientific publications and there is a third year seminar course on the process of such publications (peer reviews and such). This class also does a simulation of it as we write up a "paper"
on a topic we have researched (in theoretical terms of course) and have it peer reviewed several times before presenting it.
The help one receives in planning one's academic future is also priceless.
Each lecturer wants the best for his/her students and almost always helps with references, internship advice and even grad school pointers.
In terms of preparation for leadership roles and ambassadorial roles in future, the university gives you opportunities to hone such skills if you have them. They are probably more opportunities for such than there are students (joking, but there are a lot). Group projects, student jobs and many extra-curricular activities which one can join or create are the many ways in which we acquire many skills that prepares us for any work environment.
2 comments:
Yetunde was often borrowing things for the kitchen ... baking forms and flour and such ... as her C3 RA I was always keenly aware of her ever changing hairstyles ... she was born to be a soap star! :o)
Yetunde, is a role model for many woman!
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