Thriving as a Woman in Science Programs at University

Minal, now a successful Marine Biologist specializing in climate change, didn’t have the easiest time at college. As an extreme introvert, she preferred to spend time alone in her dorm room, rather than going to social events around campus. Her peers quickly developed misconceptions about her, since she only emerged from her room to go to class, to the kitchen, or read in the common room. 

As many of us have experienced, if you are introverted and genuinely enjoy your own company – often over the company of others – people label you as shy, timid, or even withdrawn. These labels not only mean that others assume you feel a certain way about social interactions and being included in their events, but can even call you to question your own reasons for spending time alone. 

Minal learned many lessons during her time at university and offered some words of wisdom for other girls who want to go to college to study for a career in science. 

“Embrace a sense of adventure” ­

Minal didn’t know how to swim when she applied to Marine Biology, but she did know she had a strong passion for science and the ocean. To Minal, the barrier of not knowing how to swim was a small one and was also a challenge she was happy and excited to tackle. Despite her quiet disposition in the dorms, she donned a lifejacket on the first field trip and jumped into the Pacific without anyone knowing she couldn’t swim. 

“I don’t recommend jumping into the ocean without being able to swim,” Minal laughed, “but do embrace uncertainty in life as an adventure, not an opportunity to turn back or give up.” 

“Focus on your objective in science” 

All scientists have a reason for pursuing it as a career – for Minal, this has always been the desire to preserve our beautiful oceans. She dreamed of traveling all over the world to help and study marine life. 

“Science is a superpower,” Minal said. “Marine scientists are the heroes who walk around in lab coats (when they’re not diving) instead of capes. They strive to understand how the ocean works and look for ways to heal the broken parts of our planet.” 

You too will have a core reason behind wanting to pursue science; keep this reason clear in your mind as you study and learn each day and it will help you push through the hard times. 

“Your weakest moments are your strongest” 

When you study and work in science you will experience plenty of days of research and fieldwork, which can be long and frustrating. On those long nights of studying and the endless hours you spend in labs, feeling like you’re not making enough progress, you may feel like crying, quitting, or both. 

“There was a lot of sacrifice,” Minal said. She had her share of setbacks and there were definitely days when she wondered if she was really cut out for the workload. Minal recommends that you prepare for those moments in advance, and have something prepared to turn to and help you continue forward. 

Minal kept an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem Song of the Open Road close by and in her mind during those arduous times – ‘There are days that must happen to you.’ Minal advises girls to remember “these moments are inevitable and are going to make you a better human being and scientist.” 

“You have to get used to being different” 

As a woman in science, you may be one of the few women in your university class, though the ratio of men and women is starting to improve. Minal recommends keeping the Shakespeare quote ‘Though she be little, she be fierce,’in mind. She walked into her first class with determination and confidence, knowing she had every right to be there.

Minal knew there would be differences that would set her apart from the rest of the class, but she was determined to move past them. “There’s no need to be nervous,” she said. 

“Learn to love the process” 

Science degree programs aren’t easy. They will test your mind and your character. You will spend entire days out in the field conducting research, which can be mentally and physically testing. While peers in arts programs have time to meet with friends and study, you will be in a lab or bent over your desk trying to understand a completely new concept. 

In the end, you will be able to have an extremely rewarding career in which you can make a real difference. “You will graduate with a degree of great significance to our planet,” Minal said. “You will open the floodgates for countless young girls behind you who want to pursue science.” 

Going into science isn’t just about pursuing something you love, bettering the world around you, or pushing boundaries in the field, it’s also about leading the way for more women to enter the field and follow in your footsteps. It’s an opportunity and a calling to be a role model for future generations of women.