Students in the sciences can find study tips, network and learn more about their academic fields thanks to a new, student-run Instagram account centered on STEM.

“Just because people seem like they know what they're doing, doesn't necessarily mean that,” said Dorcas Lohese, a senior biochemistry major who runs the account. “For students in the first few years of college, the struggle is real.”

Lohese created the Instagram account, UVM Sci-5, as a project for her writing internship in the College of Arts and Sciences. The account posts ideas for studying, details on STEM-related events and career-searching tools in a palatable way for students to keep up with. 

The account focuses on students studying biology, neuroscience, physics, chemistry and related fields. Lohese often posts infographics, with titles like “Why Major in Biology” and “Career/Internship Opportunities for Psych Majors.”

“I know there are other students coming into college who are first-generation or international students and feel alone, and then try to figure (college) out all by themselves,” said Lohese, herself a first-generation student. “I'm going to leave something behind for others to not have to struggle as much as I did.”

First-generation and international students often miss out on resources in college, Lohese said, and language barriers can pose a challenge in their studies — which was true for her.

“Not having enough resources to navigate everything, trying to figure out everything I had messed up — it was a huge, overwhelming challenge,” she said. 

Among the resources she curates via Instagram are special days and weeks of posts dedicated to the majors, detailing topics as specific as industrial career prospects in biological studies.

UVM Sci-5 also spotlights students, with posts that tell the stories of undergrads from different science fields and gives people a sense of who they are outside academics, too. Some of those students are first-years, and Lohese thinks their experiences can be especially inspiring.

“Sometimes,” she said, “hearing a freshman speak brings you back to why you chose that major anyways, right? Those reminders of how you got into this (major) in the first place are very helpful.”

Lohese’s work has gained attention, too: She recently spoke about her internship project to the College of Arts and Sciences board of directors, as a testament of her success.