Hi guys,
My name’s Harsh– I’m from Dallas, Texas! SSP is intense and rewarding and different from home in so many ways that it’s hard to adequately describe. It’s the third week, and all 24 of us in the Genomics program have become so well connected (perhaps out of necessity– we spend nearly every waking hour together) and I already know that I’ve made lifelong friends. And while the program is definitely very socially interesting, at the same time we adopt a strong “work hard, play hard” mentality. Yes, we go on field trips and have pool parties and do all of the fun stuff, but don’t let that distract you from the hours we put into attending lectures and doing real scientific research. SSP is intellectually challenging in the best way possible, and I feel like I’ve grown exponentially as a scientist ever since I got here. As we all collectively experience the trial and error process, it’s quickly become clear that making mistakes isn’t nearly as important as learning from them.
Indiana University is also such a nice campus. As multiple people have stated in previous blog posts, our daily step counts have skyrocketed since we got here. But I don’t really mind it– the walks here are beautiful (I feel like I’m in a movie everytime I trek around IU!) We’re also right next to the prestigious Jacobs School of Music. Last week, we saw a string recital and everyone was so talented – it’s incredible to see all of these high-achieving, hardworking individuals in fields even outside of science here! My friend and I are currently prepping a french horn/piano piece for the upcoming talent show in July; it’s fun to meet every Sunday and rehearse after a week jampacked with science.
SSP has been a blast so far, and I couldn’t be more excited to experience what’s next!
