Lin Abigail Tan 

Year-in-Review: Year One

 

    Took my last exam this morning at 7:30, and in the damp, chilly air of mid-spring, so ends freshman year. My first year at the University of Cincinnati has been a whirlwind of wonderful people and fulfilling new experiences. Even though the last several weeks were spent watching recorded lectures and attending WebEx study sessions, I’m thankful for the community we’ve built that allowed learning and connection to still flourish (one of my classmates sent a wake-up text for our HISTECH final to the entire MedSci 2023 group chat...the epitome of camaraderie, in my opinion). 

    One lesson I wish I’d known before college was that it’s okay to not take life so seriously! In high school, I was pretty quiet and reserved, but I’ve branched out more this past year. I’ve learned that it’s okay to spend a Friday night playing Super Mario Party with friends instead of getting ahead on homework. It’s okay to take a break from a bio lab report to grab sushi and mango lassis on Calhoun Street. Although academics are important, I’ve come to realize the significance of friendship and having fun as well. 

    I quite like making lists (to-do lists, playlists, books-to-read lists, etc.), so here’s one of my favorite, memorable moments from 2019-2020 at UC (in no particular order): 

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1. Stargazing in northern Kentucky and seeing Saturn, Albireo, the Milky Way and more -- white pinpoints and a hazy, dark-rimmed band stretching across the star-sprinkled sky 

2. Overly excited about finally getting a bunk bed (in a dorm room, but still)! 

3. Bagels and bananas at Cincinnati Children’s Pediatric Grand Rounds 

4. PRS quizzes in Biology, one of the best classes I’ve ever taken 

5. Missing the Eden Avenue shuttle and walking back from MEDS seminar in the rain while listening to Bollywood music 

6. Meandering around the dining halls, Medical Sciences building, Crosley Tower, and the quaint MYCincinnati firehouse building 

7. BLT experiments w/ my friend Prashanthi 

8. Nervously going to my first-ever office hour (with my chemistry professor, Dr. Bucks) and leaving with a job as a volunteer Learning Assistant! 

9. One of the first days in my RaMP lab, I painstakingly pipetted reagents for PCR and gel electrophoresis, but when my mentor and I opened the thermal cycler, all of our samples had evaporated...I couldn’t stop laughing 

10. Playing violin at church, meeting some great people, and admiring the light streaming in from the stained-glass windows 

11. Playing violin at the UC Symphony Orchestra and Medical Symphony Orchestra (so glad I’ve kept up music in college) 

12. Pretending to be a famous columnist while penning a “The Missing Link” article on the highest floor of Langsam 

13. Going to Keystone for my friend Megha’s birthday and spending the night watching music videos in her dorm 

14. Attending the Mock Sangeet in TUC (hosted by SAASA) and attempting to dance 

15. Sampling all sorts of cuisines at UC’s Worldfest 2020 

16. Had the best time shadowing a neurologist and movement disorder specialist! 

17. Making social justice buttons at the Cincinnati Public Library and painting T-shirts in GlobeMed 

18. Making green slime with my mentee Je’Niyah with College Mentors for Kids...also winning Chemistry Kahoot! 

19. Touring the cadaver lab with our medical school mentors during MEDS seminar. Also pretending to treat a patient with back pain (clinical simulation) 

20. “The Adventures of Milan the Flautist” in our Gateway to Honors class 

21. Fun making a campaign video on iMovie for UCCoM Tribunal secretary. Also fun designing a platform on Canva 

22. Going to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden with Megha for the Festival of Lights 

23. Took an Uber for the first time to shadow a neuro-ophthalmologist at Blue Ash 

24. Taking the Metro to downtown Cincinnati with my roommate Ashton and visiting the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center

 

    Next year, I hope to continue making connections with my classmates and faculty on campus. I look forward to stepping into various leadership roles on campus as well, including Honors Ambassador and SI leader for General Chemistry I. My first year has been a fantastic, immersive experience, and I plan to continue that momentum -- the enthusiasm, curiosity, and joy -- throughout the rest of my time at UC. 
 

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” 

                ~George Bernard Shaw

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"Focus on what you want, not what you fear." 

                ~Anthony Robbins