So I’m an undergrad student here at A&M and you must be thinking: What is this kid doing here on a graduate student blog site? Well most of my friends are graduate students and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Their maturity level and life experience has helped me tremendously throughout my junior year, especially when I’m here scrabbling around for my future plans after graduating. Furthermore, I’m a student worker at a research lab facility where there’s full of grads (ah yes, in my element).
 
Starting my research project, I’ve received so much help from all around me. From a post doc whose speciality is spiders and ants all the way to a first year phD student studying cotton plant genetics. I had no idea what I was getting into, especially as a first generation student whose parents speak broken english. What I love most is that they dumb things down for my pea brain to understand. The steps they took to get where they are, advice on friendships, their take on my current research, as well as pushing me to be better.
 
I definitely wouldn’t have the drive to wake up early every morning if not for the people around me. There’s this saying that goes like “You are the average of the people you put around you”. I’ve definitely seen a drastic difference in my work ethic as well as maturity.
 
I was planning on going through undergrad blind and figuring out what I was going to do after graduation later, but after being pushed and pushed to be more, I’ve already landed a job after college. The lab I’m currently at has offered me a full-time lab technician position and that’s incredible. I’m actually a very awkward and shy person and didn’t want to even ask but friends have encouraged me that the worst thing someone can say is “no”. I’m hoping that I can stay in this lab after applying to be a phD student so that I can continue my work with just more added steps! Also to keep one of my graduate friends at the lab company as her desk buddy!
 
One day in the near future, I will not be the “undergrad friend”.

Iris Tsing
----Iris Tsing is a guest author from the Department of Horiculture