Starting BioE core classes was another significant shift, where the material was more focused for the major, but also very different from the pure math/pure science types of classes we had gone through. One class had a focus on sensors and circuits, extremely different from the types of classes I had imagined, and pushed us all to study extra to try and understand the material well. This image is one of the most memorable moments from the start of BioE, where the friends I connected with wrote out everything we could think of for the class on this huge whiteboard. It was a great way for us to test our ability to remember the content and to teach it to each other.
BioE lab was another great way to learn with hands-on activities and a focus on the engineering design process. The picture to the right shows heart valves that our team designed for a quarter-long project, and I learned a lot about collaboration, teamwork, communication and time management during this quarter. Although we had time for the “iterative” design process that engineering at UW tries to focus on (learning from mistakes and making the next round better), our communication with other teams was not the greatest, and it ended up hurting our final product, as we weren’t able to get a chance to test our valve in conjunction with the other teams. I also ended up learning more about how I personally work in teams, finding out that in necessary cases, I could take leadership and organize for the team when needed. It was interesting to experience the balance in leadership needed for efficient work and for a good team environment - where occasionally conversation needs to be redirected to the goals of the meetings, but not in a way that is too harsh or controlling.
Along with classwork, the people I met in the BioE cohort were a lot more open and genuine than I had previously encountered. I remember having an experience in my sophomore year at college, where I attended the engineering formal with my roommate and some of her friends at the time. However, I clearly remember feeling upset and conflicted, as the group of people I had gone with were quite closed off, feeling like they were too “cool” to have fun. I had made it my goal to push myself out of my comfort zone once the cohort system started for BioE as I knew I would be spending a lot of time with whoever I made friends with, and I was more drawn to those that seemed more open and genuine. I had originally met a couple of my friends’ friends first, but after meeting my current friends in classes, I made more of an intentional effort to connect with these people rather than staying with my old friend, and I’m glad I did. Spending time with this group helped push me to be more open with a newer group of people and think about the type of person I want to grow to become. One thing I really picked up from them was allowing myself to be a little more selfish with my own time, and thinking about what I wanted to prioritize, especially when the core classes started to pick up. I wanted to pick out what would make me happy and what was worth my time, and work to make sure I wouldn’t regret how I spent my time. I was also able to meet more people through my new friends, and currently consider this friend group one of the main communities in my life.