11C陳家蓁
「iGEM是一個需要投入大量時間及精力的比賽。」
回首過去，我一開始加入iGEM，只是單純地因為熱愛生物這門藝術；當我深入其中才真正明白，iGEM所涵蓋的內容遠多於此。膽小的我，在朋友的推薦下去參加說明會，我也不知道當時的我有沒有聽懂，但我著實聽得很入迷。然而，作為一名尚未確定未來方向的高一生，我從未想過自己有機會踏入這國際競賽的舞台，最後是副隊長那句「Now or Never」推了我一把，讓我抱著忐忑的心，走上這條前途未知的道路。
萬事起頭難，剛進入團隊的我沒有認識多少人，只能跟在別人身後嘗試融入大家。後來的我認識了來自台大的老師們包含如意、Lucy、Heidi以及遠在沖繩的高老師，他們的存在就如同一把鑰匙，真正的打開了通往iGEM世界的這扇大門。每個起點都帶著些許未知與挑戰。當初老師們傾力教導，講述從未聽聞的實驗故事，我們也在延續上一屆作品的基礎上，為實驗學習增添一筆，儘管複雜且不易，卻為我們鋪下前進的軌道。
在團隊中，我是社會實踐組一個成員，主要負責翻轉教學，並推廣作品和合成生物學。秉持著「反正來都來了，學越多當然越好」的心態，我嘗試走遍各組，把自己沒有試過的事情全部碰了一遍；因為這樣，我才有機會成為最後做決賽簡報的簡報手以及決賽影片的導演。我努力讓自己體驗每一個環節，這也讓我知道一個人千萬不能被先前對自己的認知而受限住了。
在學習的路上，我覺得最能打敗一個人的是挫折感，但別無選擇，人要從失敗中學習才能達到所謂的「成功」。在翻轉教學的籌備過程中，因為缺乏與隊友的溝通，導致沒辦法有效率的完成目標。這也讓我發現了一個人不能全然支撐起大團隊，只有不斷的溝通以及討論才會修成正果。
不斷地開會、檢討，我們到達最終目的地一巴黎決賽會場。在現場與各隊交流的畫面讓我感動不已，這是我嚮往的大型國際盛會，這也是我曾未幻想過的畫面。最令我印象深刻的莫過於自己的簡報被投影到iGEM會場那座大螢幕上，我腦海中竟浮現出自己剛加入團隊時的青澀與迷茫，隨著隊友的精彩表現，我熱淚盈眶，感到無比自豪。
參加過不同的比賽，但iGEM絕對是我印象最深刻的一項。它教會了我如何與一個大團隊合作，如何面對挫折並從中成長，如何在繁忙的課業中保持對事物的好奇心；當然，也讓我在無聊的高中生活加上了無數的回憶（會議）。最重要的是，它讓我更加堅定了對生物的熱愛，並同時讓我找到一群這麼棒的隊友。這段旅程中，我們像是一支支筆，一字一句地書寫屬於自己的篇章，雖不盡完美，卻因堅持而熠熠生輝。
11B賴品臻
For students interested in the fields of biology, chemistry, and related biotechnologies, International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) is a strong contender for an introductory course to such fields, with invaluable hands-on-experience. In iGEM, teams design, build, and test biological systems for a variety of goals, from agricultural development to advancements in cancer prevention, typically using synthetic biology principles.
Engaging in iGEM grants the opportunity to develop professional improvisational and communication skills, from reaching out to competing teams and alumni to giving impromptu presentations to potential investors.
Students new to lab work would be able to explore lab procedures and processes under the supervision of university postgraduates, and familiar themselves with technologies and jargon particular to the field of synthetic biology.
Even for students uncertain regarding their interest in the science fields could gain valuable familiarity with the countless fields interlinked in fulfilling an iGEM project, from web design to animations to software engineering. I’ve seen many of my peers develop a second talent in miscellaneous domains, such as social account management or video editing, whereas the majority of others benefited from countless public speaking experiences.
However, it is not to say that the attendance of iGEM is without drawbacks. The most major of reasons for deterrence would be its steep cost, from funds towards renting lab equipment to project promotion, not to mention minor, invisible costs such as transportation, outsourcing, and scheduling sessions with professionals.
Teamwork is crucial to success, and so is leadership and presentation. The jack of all trades, too confident in his own abilities, would almost surely fail, and a herd of sheep without its head would be devoured alive. Whoever said to not judge a book by its cover made a terrible analogy, as our project fell apart at its seams due to inadequate presentation.
It would be wise to consider the benefits of iGEM with a grain of salt. Overall, the opportunity to attend a global event with and against outstandingly bright young minds is priceless, but the bigger an event, typically the lesser the attention your hard work is given. For future challengers of iGEM, I highly encourage you to consider your position and the meaning of this competition to you before making your decision. And if your mind is set, you must only try your best.
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