Hi everyone,

I’m not really sure how to start a blog post, let alone the first one.

So, hi. My name is Emily and I’m a graduating senior in Neuroscience. On March 13th, I was accepted into Temple University’s Biology M.S. program. I’ll also be working as a lab manager full time during my master’s degree. Needless to say, I don’t know what I’m doing*!

*I do know what it says I do on both my resume and my LinkedIn, but y’know, imposter syndrome.

I can say, with complete confidence, that I know a hell of a lot more than I did four years ago. I came to Temple because my starry-eyed self wanted the best opportunities in journalism (ah, yes, now it makes sense why she has a blog). Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just burnt out too quick. Logically I jumped into neuroscience. It was an interesting path but a logical one, and it’ll get it’s own post after I get this whole thing started up.

I will tell you my transition into neuroscience began my junior year of high school. It wasn’t the first time I was told I talked too much in class. This time was particularly memorable because of the two boys who said it, one would go on to assault me in an empty classroom around this time five years ago. That same boy sexual predator and I would have AP psych together the following year until he would go on to assault another girl and get expelled. Every psych class leading up to that, I would hear him tell me I was too stupid to do anything in science. Needless to say, psych got a lot more interesting when he wasn’t in class anymore.

That class would be the catalyst for my love of neuroscience and journey into Graduate School. The assault was just my motivation to get started. I talked more, I did a lot of science, and since that one really awful thing, a lot of really amazing things happened. Like getting accepted to grad school five years after I was molested. Not despite it, not in spite of it, not because of that moment… but because I wanted to.

I’m writing this because I’m not the only one who’s been through it. I know I’m not, so I’m starting this blog because it’s the one I wish I had when I was still in high school. Maybe there is catharsis in that. Maybe it’ll help someone get through what they’re going through. I want this platform to be a place where we – the weary, exasperated members of society and science – have room to talk about all of the stuff that doesn’t fit into an academic journal or university brochure. Let’s talk about negative data, the many -isms that bias research, self-care and all of the incredible things in between.

So here’s to us: the grads and undergrads, the tenured and the adjunct, the STEM kid and the curious.

Welcome to Neuroff.

———————————————————————–

Ideas? Questions? Want to Submit?

Email me: neuroffblog@gmail.com