Hey I Am Interested in Biohacking

[Jacob Vaughan]

Hey everyone for one I want to clarify I am a huge genetic nerd. I am going to college for genetic engineering as a career of course to join the pros, but I am anxious to learn from people as an amateur. The people are who the pros don't listen to and I am happy to know that the public is working on their own ideas. I do realize the dangers but I want to be part of this biohacking groups. I live in WV I am young and creative, I am out to solve world diseases, cancers, and attempt to improve humans. Anything in the name of science, I don't have a college background of course but I will I am a good student in class I find my self constantly researching anything on genetics. Right now I am at WVU for being the top boy in my class and I will probably if I keep up the good work be seludictorian next year. I am at a program for having grades above a D actually never had one from freshman to junior year, I stayed above a 3.4 from freshman to junior year, and I made a distinguished on the history test my sophomore year, only 200 students get to go. I am smart and I use my knowledge and I am out learn more. If there is a way I could get to a good biohacking meet up I would.

[Dakota Hamill]

Find a mentor.  Never stop learning.  Read everything you can that interests you, or even things you think won't interest you, as sometimes those spark new ideas and help uncover new passions.  Actively seek out people who are passionate about things, even if it isn't exactly what you are passionate about.

 Get into an actual research lab as soon as possible.  Practical science is more useful than book science.  You are at a massive school with hundreds of millions of dollars, someone there is doing research.  Look up your faculties areas of research and find one that interests you, read some of their papers, then approach them or send an email asking for a short meeting and express your interest in working in their lab.  Since it sounds like you are in your senior year, even more of a reason to get some research experience under your belt.  Are you working on a senior thesis?

Take advantage of the resources at your disposal and be willing to try new things even if they seem boring at first, learning you don't like something can be just as valuable as learning something you do.

Be more humble.

 I don't have a college background of course but I will

Right now I am at WVU 

 

Also...after re-reading your post I can't tell if you're a senior at West Virginia University or a senior in high-school attending WVU because you did well on a history test?

[Nathan McCorkle]

Do you still have a year of highschool left? If so, are you close
enough to Morgantown to get there on the weekends or maybe weeknights?
WV is pushing to get more biotech there, so with a little work, I
think you have very good chances of finding some professors and
professionals that will help out.

Contact these folks!
http://www.wvcommerce.org/business/industries/biotech.aspx

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--
-Nathan

[SC]

Hi Jacob,

 

Welcome!  It sounds like you have a lot of ideas and plans.  I have some suggestions. 

 

1. When you get to WVU, volunteer to work in someone's lab even if it's just washing glassware.  What professors look for is not the smartest people, but the ones who are dependable, show up on time, and do what they are asked. Obviously you need to have a few brain cells to do the experiments, but lots of people have the smarts and a much smaller number can tolerate the less exciting tasks that make science possible.  Simply being around the lab and showing yourself to be responsible will open a lot of doors for you.

2. Once you're in, ask to do some basics, like running a gel or making media. Try to remember that it isn't one exciting discovery after another, but a lot of work, entering data, checking spreadsheets. I hope you will find it worthwhile as we have.

3. The pros will listen to you if they like you.  Make friends in the lab.

4. Tone it down a little. Sorry, but a high school kid or college freshman is a hard sell sometimes, and this is why. While I'm sure you were happy (and rightly so) that you did well on your history paper, no one in a molecular biology lab will care about that.   Winning a prize for having grades above a D is probably something you should keep to yourself.   Spend less time telling everyone how great you are and more time actually being great.

 

I wish you the best of luck on your journey, and please keep us posted on your progress.

 

Stacy