The Barometer and The Pressures of Being a Scientist Wannabe
Hi. I’m BA, and I have wasted more than three months “vacationing” while waiting for the semester to start this August. I’ll be enrolling as a PhD Meteorology student this coming semester. Or so I hope. I haven’t received the acceptance letter yet!
Unfortunately my mind has started to become stale by just playing video games all day and driving around and drinking coffee and eating food and reading random articles on the web. I’ve been trying to hide in my room the past months. I’ve also been avoiding social media, particularly Facebook, as much as I can because things can be very toxic online.
But hey, I have lots and lots and lots of thoughts that I want to share, about the academe, about science, about being a scientist, about being a student again, about procrastination, about video games, about random facts, about anything, actually.
So while driving home this rainy evening, I had this bright idea (hehehe, get it, get it? evening? bright? ok……) of starting a blog so at least I have an outlet of sorts.
While brainstorming (get it? rain? brain? storm? ok…….) for names for the blog I can’t help but think of the pressures of being a scientist wannabe here in the country. Hence, The Barometer. Because it measures… pressure…… Hehehehehehe……
On being a scientist, besides the problem of gaining support (and funding!) from the government, there’s always the pressure of being acknowledged by your peers and the general public.
You see, there’s this notion that you can’t call yourself a “true” scientist unless you already have your PhD. That you have to have years and years of experience, that you have to have had led projects, that you have to have tons of wisdom about a particular topic, that you have to have published lots of papers. And unless you have gained your PhD, some people do look down on you as a “scientist wannabe”.
There was this particular instance back in 2013 when my credentials were challenged, when I felt that someone was questioning whether I was a “real scientist”. To be honest, I felt a little insulted with how I was treated, especially because it was in public.
I won’t go into details anymore, but as much as I keep on reminding myself that the past is past, that particular event continues to drive me to this day.
That I have to prove myself. That I have to gain that PhD. That I have to become a “true” scientist.
I guess that’s one of the pressures of being a scientist. That you constantly want to prove yourself in a world obsessed with technicalities and titles.
So again, hi. I’m BA Racoma. I’m a PhD Meteorology student, and an aspiring scientist.
And I will take over the world some day. ;)
