Dear Scientific Writing (Poster)

Dear Scientific Writing (Poster),

I love to write, and I love science.
So you’d think scientific writing would come naturally to me — you’d be only half right.

This summer, I’ve been working on an independent research project that I’m so excited about. But I’ve never done anything like this before. At first, I was overflowing with passion… and then reality hit like a kick in the nards. Planning, organizing, cutting things down — all of it came crashing in. Miscommunications and high hopes meant that the idea I started with had to be trimmed to the bone. It was definitely a learning curve.

There was no clear “template” to follow. I had to figure things out through the corrections I received:

• “This is wrong — you should change it.”
• “How did you even reach this conclusion?”
• “This information is inaccurate.”
• “Maybe you were onto something… but re-write it scientifically.”

Through that chaos, I learned how to structure an abstract, how to write like a scientist, and how to design a poster from scratch. My mentors guided me, but still, my brain ground like a fork in a garbage disposal. My ADHD made me laser-focus on every mistake and completely overlook what I was doing well.

Still, I made it through.

And the truth is — scientific writing is kind of amazing. I get to share all the cool, innovative research I’m doing. I get to learn from others. I get to be part of something bigger.

I had to fight through major anxiety about presenting in front of people who (seemingly) knew more than me. The imposter syndrome was so loud. But someone gave me advice I’ll never forget:
“Make a jar of your accomplishments. Add to it. Open it when you forget who you are.”

So that’s what I’m doing. Because even on the days I don’t feel like I belong — I do.

So no, scientific writing didn’t come naturally. Not at first. But just like with art, it’s something I grew into — awkwardly, and painfully. It’s not just about putting research on paper; it’s about learning how to tell the story of your work with honesty, clarity, and care. And even though I’m still learning, I’ve realized that scientific writing is not about being perfect — it’s about aiming for perfection and trying every day to get there.