A Reflective Science in My Life

When I was in high school I assumed science was all about specific rules and strict guidelines. If anything it sounded uninteresting and quite dull to me. There was a certain method that was to be followed and my thinking was that there was not much room for freedom and creativity. This was a dilemma for me as I genuinely loved learning about the natural world, however the process by which I initially believed it was done discouraged me from fully engaging in my classes. I attended a Catholic high school where our biology classes did not cover anything about evolution or the origins of the earth. Instead we approached such subjects from a religious standpoint. This caused me to believe I had missed out and I felt a little embarrassed when I got to university and learnt about these topics from a science perspective for the first time.

At university I was thrilled to learn that science involves a lot of creativity and room for imagination. Whilst there is a scientific method that is generally followed, it can be altered to suit each experiment. The experiments themselves are carried out differently and elements such as culture, society and religion all play a part in how scientific findings are obtained. Each scientist has different perspectives and biases which mean science cannot always be completely objective. While at university I have had the chance to develop my understanding of science and what it means to be a scientist. For one of my papers this semester I am required to design, execute and present a group report which answers an ecological question of our choice. It has been both challenging and rewarding to participate in these types of assessments. As a result, I have gained an insight to the workings of a scientist in the real world.

As I near the end of my studies I have a much clearer understanding of what science is in general and for me personally. I believe that science is about making discoveries and finding explanations by observing the world around us. The world is constantly changing and so is science, making it an exciting field to work in. I am always learning new and improved ways of carrying out scientific research. Science is interrelated with a large variety of other disciplines which means it can be perceived differently by each individual. While scientists strive to produce objective and error-free findings, science is not perfect and that is okay. I am excited and eager to see where science takes me and I feel a sense of confidence in knowing that while methods and rules are important, they are not the be all end all. At this point writing this essay, I see myself as someone who can bring a different perspective to the field. Originally, I thought my religious high school education had negatively affected my science knowledge, but I now recognize the relationship between science and religion. It has added to and improved my understanding of the complexity of science.