Welcome from the BMAC

Hello incoming KU Biology Students!!!

My name is Trentan Blettner and I am a sophomore here at KU studying Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology with Political Science and Astrobiology minors. I am also a member of the Biology Majors Advisory Committee where we take feedback from biology students like you in order to shape the program to represent the needs and desires of the students. Always feel free to reach out to the BMAC if you have any ideas how the Biology program can be better. Starting out here at KU can be very scary and exciting because you have so many doors open to you and so many different paths you can go down. As you begin your journey here at KU here is some advice I would have given myself when I was in your shoes.

First, get involved early. There are so many opportunities here at KU for you. This includes social clubs, professional organizations, or getting involved with research. By getting involved you get to meet so many wonderful people to make connections with. I found that by getting involved in activities I was granted even more chances to get into stuff I was more interested in. For example, being in the Herpetology club helped me get involved with working at the natural history museum. Also do not be afraid to try new things, you never know where you might find a secret passion. KU has a wonderful selection of biology related clubs to choose from. My personal favorite being the Botany club.

Second, stay on top of school work. I found in college it can get really easy to fall behind and struggle to catch back up. Make a to-do list and a calendar or whatever you need to do stay on top of things. In addition, despite how trite it sounds, going to class is so important. Missing a lecture will just cause you to play catch-up and have less understanding of the material. The desire to skip will be so strong, but you have to resist. It's easy to be overwhelmed and at some point you will be. Just remember to do what you can and focus on what you can control.

Third, have no fear of reaching out to professors or fellow students to ask for something. It may be nerve-wrecking to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation or if there are any spots in their lab but always remember the worst thing they can say is no. I have gotten so many opportunities from cold approaching professors. This goes the same for classmates. Don’t feel afraid to try to set up a study group or if they have any advice on how to navigate college.

Finally, I will just say take advantage of every resource that you have here. At the end of the day, your college experience will be what you make of it. Take big risks, put yourself out there, and do not let setbacks stop you. In Biology fashion I will use a plant analogy. KU has plenty of great nutrients in the soil and sunlight for you to grow, it is up to you to determine how tall you will be.

Trentan Blettner
P.S - The Greenhouse on Haworth’s 3rd floor is a wonderful place to study!