Entry #4 - A Day in the Life of a Science Writer

 

On April 30th, 2024, I changed my major. Instead of majoring in English, as I originally intended to do when I started college in the fall, I have decided to major in Environmental Studies with a focus on law and ethics while also minoring in Professional Writing.

It was a scary idea to dwell on, for a while. I knew I wanted to do something regarding English as a career - I’m not a math-brained person, and science is alright, but when it starts to involve math, my focus jumps out the window. However, I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with an English major. I’ve always known that I want to help people, but I don’t want to be a teacher, and I want to make some sort of impact. One of my biggest worries is climate change, and I want to know what I can do as an individual to combat it - so I decided, why not go into Environmental Studies?

 

Pairing an Environmental Studies major with a Professional Writing minor is a decision that has been praised by at least three of my professors and/or mentors. The advisor of the Professional Writing minor, Adam Ochonicky, as well as my advisor, Jennifer Escher, and my professor, Crystal Mueller, told me that English and Environmental Studies can go hand-in-hand with one another. There is a lot I can do with the pair, and I have decided that I would like to become a science writer. 

Not only will I learn how to combat climate change on an individual level, but by becoming a science writer - and working for a moral and well-paying organization, hopefully - I will be able to hold politicians and corporations accountable. I will be able to do this by… writing, obviously. What I’ll write, I’m not sure yet. I could write reports, essays, articles, you name it. 

But there are other skills that come with being a science writer that are crucial to the job. I looked at two “Day in the Life” articles from science writers Charles Choi and Katrien Janin to see what a typical day for a science writer looks like. However, something both articles mention is that everyday is a different day; there’s no set daily routine. As I read over their articles, I took note of what skills I would need to be successful in the field - and I have learned many of these skills through our English 281 class.

For one, it’s always important to outline your work - and to enjoy it. I saw this skill in action while reading the articles; both Choi and Janin love their jobs, and I could feel the love they have for their work in every word written in the articles. English 281 has taught me how to organize my thoughts through the form of thinking pages and outlines, which, at first, do not have to be polished, and most definitely do not need to be perfect. The class has taught me that rough drafts are rough for a reason. So, instead of stressing for perfection right away, just word vomit; after organizing your thoughts, you can clean up the mess and build on the important information.

As science writers, Choi and Janin communicate with a lot of people. Therefore, it’s important that they communicate clearly and effectively with these people, which may range from politicians to scientists to different organizations. Clear, concise word choice is also essential for writing good pieces, and every word should be purposeful. English 281 has taught me how to better analyze texts to better understand their meanings - analyzing makes it easy to understand the big picture, as well as each individual puzzle piece. 

While I may not know what exactly I’ll be writing about yet, I know how I will go about writing when I become a science writer, thanks to English 281.