A Science Student's Typical Day: Colombian Edition

Being a science student in Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia is quite an experience. Yes, we do science here too. And we nearly always wake up to beautiful sunny days, especially during the dry season. The heat, the sun, more of the heat (thanks, global warming), and the mountains of Antioquía ensure that monotonous cloudy days are a non-issue. Actually, cloudless days are what we would define as monotonous.

Once I arrive on campus, I head for class. Physical chemistry turned out to be an exceptionally sleepy one, about the second law of thermodynamics. Hours later — at least, that's how it felt to me — I'm in the cafeteria to get my compulsory cup of delicious coffee. I do live in the land of the best coffee in the world. Then, after some brief geek conversations with a couple of friends while coffee-sipping, I'm off to the fourth floor of Tower 2, the location of the university's neuroscience lab.

As the new guy in the lab, I try to say "hi" to everyone around — to feel as important as the researchers and postgraduates, you know — as I make my way to my tutor Jose's office. He is currently completing his doctorate and is preparing to go to Yale University. To get him started, I generally only have to ask, "Hey, what's new?" During the following minutes, Jose proceeds to tell me all the latest news. I do get some productive lab work done as well, as today we are trying to maintain a new cell culture C3/36 that comes from the intestinal tract of larvae Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. This cell line is normally used in experiments involving viral infections, such as dengue virus. This is the most interesting part of my day — that incredible feeling of doing something that has never before been done, of pushing the global community's knowledge of the natural world forward.

After a couple of hours in the lab (between flasks, culture media, extraction chambers, and microscopes), my stomach is growling. It's time for lunch with the colleagues and, yes, more geek conversations.

Right, so lunch ticked, geek conversations ticked, nap ticked (what?). It's time to go to my ecology class. Thirty minutes in and I realize how ineffective that nap of mine was (again, what?). But, no, Lotka-Volterra models are important! I need to stay awake.

I usually make my way to our "meeting place," the candy machine in the afternoon. This is a point of reunion where considerably more geek conversations ensue. Then, after some more food, off we go to the metro station and home sweet home. On Fridays, of course, it's different: pub night and a couple of beers before going back home!

Being a science student in Colombia is to be part of the country's ever-growing scientific community. It is clear that in order for Colombia to move up in the world, it needs to educate its people, and this only encourages me to do my part and my best as a science student, so that one day I may participate in the creating new knowledge and sharing it with the global population.

It is pretty cool and I'm happy to be part of the ride. Every day is about learning new things, researching for the better of the community — and, of course, having a lot of fun!

--Maickol Ospina

Images courtesy of Maickol Ospina. Top image: Medellín. Bottom image: Maickol (left) and his research advisor, Jaime (right).