Over the summer of 2019, I took Microbiology (BIOL 250) and its lab (BIOL 250L). We learned about the zone of inhibition which is when you spread a microbe all around an agar plate and test different agents to see which one will kill the most microbes. We did this in lab and it has to be one of my favorite labs I have ever done. We used different disinfectants and antiseptics and tested them against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. By doing this lab, I was able to see exactly what was going on and that helped me grasp the concept. Being able to see and understand what happened so clearly, made me love microbiology. It also inspired how I tested my hydrosols and essential oils in my independent research. We use the same process as above to spread the microbes around and use small sterile disks that soak up the hydrosol or essential oil. The disks are placed in the middle of its designated section and put into the incubator for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the plates come out of the incubator to have their inhibition zones measured. These zones tell us if the hydrosol or essential oil has antimicrobial properties. Some people like to put these products on their face because they are natural, and if they do have antimicrobial properties, it can help with acne and many other things.  

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During my research class, I discussed with my mentor how the zone of inhibition refers to real life. She threw out this idea that you have to be able to set your own boundaries and be able to say no when need be. I had never thought about it like that and completely agreed with her. Today, I feel like people take on so much stuff at once and become very overwhelmed very quick. This could all change if we learned how to set boundaries and learn how to say no. Some people, especially women because we are seen as more submissive than men, have a hard time saying no. Bringing this concept into real life can help with that if we set the appropriate boundaries. I had to learn how to set boundaries and say no during the course of my independent research. In the beginning, my mentors were helping me come up with an idea. They gave me ideas that sounded interesting, but they did not spark my personal interest. For the first couple ideas, I never gave a solid yes or no. As I started to realize what I wanted to do, I began to give my input. I told my mentors I had a hydrosol at home and I wanted to test it to see if there are any antimicrobial properties to it. When we started adding in new hydrosols, I was able to say yes or no to them. Something small like that made me realize the importance of boundaries and saying no. If I did not say no to new hydrosols, I would have been extremely overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to get done in a few months.  

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In early February 2020, University of South Carolina, Lancaster’s Research Club held a meeting that had a faculty librarian talk about what things librarians do. To be completely honest, I thought they just put away books and read a lot, but I learned a lot of them conduct their own research. This professor shared with us her research: low morale in the workplace. It was very eye-opening to what is going on there. People are getting too stressed out because they take on too many tasks and have not been able to set their own boundaries. As she wrapped up her presentation, she asked if we had any questions. One student in the front asked how you can kindly say no to a task presented to you in the workplace. The professor went through multiple phrases we could use to keep us from caving in and taking on another task. If people are in a situation where they cannot say no to their employer, they should try to build a team to complete the task so it is not as demanding on them.

 

As I reflect on these experiences, I see how life imitates lab practices. Everyone needs their own space just like the agent on the zone of inhibition plate needs its space away from the microbe. Everyone needs to be able to say no to help them maintain healthy stress levels as well.