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Friday, March 29, 2024

A few weeks ago, I introduced my roommate to the Swampy UF memes for top ten public teens Facebook group. The stereotypes of different kinds of students, particularly STEM majors, cracked us up.

Pursuing STEM doesn’t mean you have to fit into those stereotypes, however. STEM majors need creativity and fun in their lives, too. With all their energy spent on logic-based classes, the left side of their brain is the equivalent to Captain America, leaving the poor right side of their brain to be a scrawny Steve Rogers in comparison.

A lot of people consider studying STEM as abandoning all hobbies and social life. I can’t speak from personal experience, but I have a lot of social and artistic friends who prove that theory wrong. If you are studying science or math, make some time for creativity and art, too. Don’t give in to the pressures of those brutal STEM workloads.

I knew the trolls would rightly deem me a hypocrite if I didn’t get an experienced perspective for this column, so I recruited a friend of mine to legitimize my argument. My pal Janna Josafat is a junior studying entomology and nematology with an emphasis on biosecurity in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She is also a member of the cymbal line in The Pride of the Sunshine’s drumline. Josafat is soft-spoken and quirky. She’s the kind of person who makes you smile when she walks into the room. Her optimistic demeanor spreads a genuine feeling of hope.

This relentless optimism bubbled through when we sat down to discuss how she manages to balance her time-consuming major with such a demanding artistic outlet. She offered some simple but valuable advice to STEM students worried about balancing creative hobbies with classes.

When Josafat entered UF her freshman year, she was hesitant to join the band. She was overwhelmed by the time commitment and felt unsure if she wanted to continue with the marching band. She decided to test out the band for her first year and loved it. Next Fall will be her fourth and final year marching for UF.

She encourages STEM majors, who are unsure if they should pursue arts in college to push themselves past the initial fear of balancing creativity and classes. Even if you decide juggling both commitments is too overwhelming, you’ll be proud you participated in an artistic group and challenged yourself to step out of your comfort zone.

“Try it for one year. See if you like it. See if you can take the heat. ... If you don’t like it, you could always just stop,” Josafat said.

Balancing science and band isn’t too much for Josafat, and she has learned from the experience. Pursuing your creative outlet while tackling a STEM major teaches valuable life skills. Josafat said it requires adept planning and time management, but keeping up with classes and the band is totally doable.

“Get a buddy, a study buddy, it makes [the workload] more bearable. Just plan things out, just be disciplined, don’t be lazy,” Josafat said.

Beyond the life skills and memories, Josafat emphasized her appreciation for the kind of culture and family she’s found in the band. Josafat and her bandmates can bond over their love for music. Shared suffering during hot rehearsals also forms unique friendships that classes and most other organizations can’t create.

“It’s just nice to be able to be part of a group and do what you like to do for fun. STEM stuff isn’t always fun…You need something else to be a part of,” Josafat said.

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So, math and science people of UF, I urge you to challenge the stereotypes Swampy memes comically perpetuates. Don’t be intimidated by your class schedule this semester. Join an art club or dance group. Exploring your creative side creates memories, reveals growth opportunities and cultivates relationships you didn’t even realize are missing from your life.

Chasity Maynard is a UF journalism freshman. Her column normally appears on Fridays.

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