So you want to be a Biochemist?
What it’s like being an upper year biochemistry undergrad (well the worst parts)
 1.     Labs require work
a.     Spending 1-3 hours prepping for each lab outside of class
b.     2-6 hours doing each lab
c.     2-6 hours writing a lab report each week.
d.     This can be done for up to 4 labs per week.
e.     That’s up to 60 hours per week just doing lab work; 15 hours per lab.
a.     Include the 3 hours of class time each week for these courses x5 = 15 hours
b.     75 hours per week of schoolwork not including readings, studying, and assignments, final projects, presentations….
3.     Some of the study material is outrageous
a.     Memorizing Proteins EFAa, EFAb, EFAc … Similarity of names are confusing
b.     Some protein names are complex
4.     Expecting some results, but getting different results with no idea why
a.     The strange results still need to be interpreted
b.     May need to do experiment over
5.     The experiment looks good on paper and in your head
a.     But in the lab, isn’t what was expected
6.     Forgetting if you added a reagent in 32 assay vials, and having to start over from scratch.
a.     An extra 1-2 hours of lab work
7.     Manuscript-style science report formatting
b.     One comma out of place and you’re screwed.
8.     Researching literature in your specific niche can be daunting and difficult
a.     Sometimes very little literature on your specific organism or molecule
b.     Overly-complex scientific literature over your head which you still need to be able to explain and incorporate into your report.
9.     Bioinformatics
a.     E.g.>gi|5524211|gb|AAD44166.1| cytochrome b [Elephas maximus maximus]
LCLYTHIGRNIYYGSYLYSETWNTGIMLLLITMATAFMGYVLPWGQMSFWGATVITNLFSAIPYIGTNLVEWIWGGFSVDKATLNRFFAFHFILPFTMVALAGVHLTFLHETGSNNPLGLTSDSDKIPFHPYYTIKDFLGLLILILLLLLLALLSPDMLGDPDNHMPADPLNTPLHIKPEWYFLFAYAILRSVPNKLGGVLALFLSIVILGLMPFLHTSKHRSMMLRPLSQALFWTLTMDLLTLTWIGSQPVEYPYTIIGQMASILYFSIILAFLPIAGXIENY
 b.     Enough said
 10.  Handing in a half-assed report because you’ve reached your time limit for submission
11. Â Learning all the protein one-letter codes and DNA codons coding for amino acids by heart happens passively by the time you graduate.
