What you can expect for nutrition graduate school -- the first year reflection

Photo by Denys Nevozhai

I was late for my first graduate class at UIC. Public transportation was delayed by 30 minutes, I ran from the station to the school building and then reached the classroom. Sweating and out of breath, I went to the last row. Interestingly enough, the person next to me was also sweaty from riding his bike to class. That was the beginning of my first year as a graduate student in nutrition science at UIC.

UIC wasn’t my first graduate school. I got my master’s degree in Industrial Technology and Operation Management in 2017 at IIT. But this year at UIC has been the best studying experience so far in my life. Why? Because I love nutrition and I love food, always.

Actually, I had a love-hate relationship with food before studying in UIC. I thought I was a “supertaster” (I could taste every detail in the food), and that was why I loved eating. But I hated that I couldn’t always control my food cravings. I didn’t enjoy the feeling of losing control. So I thought nutrition science was going to teach me how to calculate everything I put in my mouth. I thought calorie counting would be the way I can help people to eat and control food. 

This mindset was all changed after my first year in nutrition science. What I learned in school was incredible and opened my mind.

Food is much more than just nutrition.

During a Food and Culture course, I learned about the cuisine from around the world. Prof. Fantozzi shared historical stories, economic impacts, and relevant culture behind the symbolic food in each region. We watched a video on various Italian pasta, and we also discussed the dark side of the Italian tomato. We talked about NAFTA and corn and the impacts of Mexican farmers. I felt sad when we learned about the disease (Konzo) in Africa because of neon-soaked cassava due to war, poverty, and lack of infrastructure. In my Nutrition Education course, my professor also mentioned many times “comfort food”, and we made “Culture MyPlate” learn more about different food choices in different cultures.

Food safety is a big thing to know as a dietitian

I didn’t know that many dietitians work in food service and they are responsible for food safety, quality control, and customer satisfaction. A challenging class in my second semester was a class called Quantity Food Production. There are so many details in the kitchen and as a dietitian, you should know how to manage everything, especially, food safety and foodborne illnesses. Even though the material was challenging, I am glad this class to learn more about the dietitians' role in a food service setting.

Nutrition is not “one-size-fits-all”

There are so many fad diets, and the way the weight loss industry markets them is the same: ”XXX successfully lost Y lbs by this diet”. People try diets and are disappointed when they can’t match the amazing “before and after” photos. In my nutrition education and nutrition consulting courses, I learned that everybody is different, and we have to find what works for each individual. Nutrition is not that simple, as the body is exquisite and complicated. If I don’t know myself well, I’m not going to find the solution. We all need to learn what we like or dislike, what we can realistically change to fit our schedule, what is available in the neighborhood we live in, what is reasonable given our financial situation, and what we can sustain in the long term. As a dietitian, you are supposed to guide people to discover their own solutions, not judge their life. There is no “one-size-fits-all” meal plan.

Be positive, be lovely, and be kind

I’m surprised by how positive I have become after my first year in nutrition science. I guess I was a perfectionist before, not wanting anything out of my control, including eating, sleeping, working, and so on. After learning more and more about the body, I just feel I love it and I’m able to accept all the unperfect parts of my life. After learning economic-social theory in different courses, I understand there are many things that influence people’s behaviors, and the individual level of change has limited power. I accept this limitation, and I stop blaming myself. I know, in the future, when I have clients or patients, I will be ready to listen to their stories and give them support.

Photo by Chris Liu

There were more things I learned than the above four points, but I will end by saying I’m glad that I have the chance of studying my favorite topic. I hope next year after graduation, I will have more to write about and more confidence to help the people in the world.

Liyao