2. Why do I like chemistry?

Some people say their jobs do not exactly coincide with their majors. However, the decision of choosing the major at the end of the freshman year seemed too massive to me that it seems to change the whole direction of my life. Even though I like other subjects as well, such as psychology, economics, programming and design (quite broad … ;😉), chemistry was my chose simply because it required less credit to graduate and I have been doing quite well since I was in high school among science fields.

However, to be honest, I was befuddled at first by how massive amount of materials there were for me to understand and memorize each time I took different fields of chemistry (organic, inorganic, bio, physics chemistry, etc.) Moreover, taking ‘organic chemistry laboratory’ class without taking organic chemistry in advance really made me perplexed. Though I had studied each experiment before the class time, I couldn’t understand why we mixed A and B, heated it and recrystallized A again!

But I didn’t give up. I studied more and tried to find the possible errors for my strange results… (once the percent yield was over 100% 😊) Fortunately, things got better as I got used to several experimental methods and took other chemistry courses. I think chemistry came slowly to me, but its impact on my life was and will be big enough to shape my future plan.

When was the most fascinating moment as a chemistry student?

It was the moment at the organic chemistry Ⅱ that I could catch the key points of experiments from the previous lab course! Also, It was when I could see the connections between the molecules in the textbook and chemicals and pharmaceuticals in the real life! The most interesting parts was problem-solving. When I was handling the practice problems in the textbook, I loved to expect the behavior of electrons and protons and find the possible synthesis for the final products. I like the fact that with the diverse elements, I can predict the general behavior of compounds and conversely, control the performance of material by changing compositions.

(Some of my experimental results in 2016 Organic chemistry laboratory Ⅰ)

When is the moment that I was proud of studying chemistry?

Currently, I’m happy that I can study chemistry which is the very fundamental science that could explain almost everything in the world! Not only that but, by controlling the experimental conditions I could make a new molecule and material that have ever existed. Even though, the undergraduate laboratory classes are all about following the predetermined procedures, I could guess what kinds of research were going on from our professors in the class and from visiting professors at the department seminars. After all, I could actually create a new catalyst as a student intern and a master student. 😊

Moreover, I believe that with chemistry, I can contribute a lot for the future of humankind and our planet with my researches and inventions. I always dream about distributing the appropriate technology to the developing countries, thus reducing the number of those who suffer from little electricity and clean water. I also have imagined developing cutting-edge technologies that could prevent further pollution and clean all the dusts and exhausts in the sky. Actually, I could see in the book of eminent Korean polymer chemist Jung-Il Jin who pioneered the fields of liquid crystal and contributed to the development of nanoscience in Korea. From his biography, I was touched by how he and his students struggled with the poor laboratory equipment but, eventually succeeded to take important positions in the big companies’ research centers or study doctoral program in the U.S. From other books such as ’25 Trends for the Future’ and ‘National Survival Technology’, there are so much research fields such as batteries and electrocatalysts that I could contribute as a chemist. I felt like I became a necessary and important human resource! > 0 <

Certainly, it is very hard to study: some principles and formulas are still evasive to me, and I sometimes couldn’t remember the materials from the previous year or semester. Furthermore, the more I study, the more theories and experimental methods are left to be conquered! However, if I keep trying hard to overcome difficulties, I believe the result will be so fruitful. After all, motivation is the most important factor that propels me forward and my goals will keep motivating me.

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