Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
From the fear of failure to the pressure of feeling like you don’t belong — what really gets in the way of success, and what can help students push through it?
In this episode, Dr. Biology talks with Katelyn Cooper from Arizona State University School of Life Sciences about the powerful connection between mental health and learning science.
You’ll hear why making mistakes might actually be one of the best ways to learn, how labels like “I’m not a science person” can hold us back, and why even professional scientists struggle more than you might think.
If you’ve ever felt nervous in a science class or wondered if you belong there, this episode is for you.
Dig Deeper
Fail-safe Science (https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe) - hear how other scientists overcame challenges.
Lab Coat Optional (https://research.asu.edu/news/podcast/) - checkout this podcast to feed more of your science curiosity.
If you have not already, please subscribe (askabiologistpodcast.buzzsprout.com/) to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.
From the fear of failure to the pressure of feeling like you don’t belong — what really gets in the way of success, and what can help students push through it?
In this episode, Dr. Biology talks with Katelyn Cooper from Arizona State University School of Life Sciences about the powerful connection between mental health and learning science.
You’ll hear why making mistakes might actually be one of the best ways to learn, how labels like “I’m not a science person” can hold us back, and why even professional scientists struggle more than you might think.
If you’ve ever felt nervous in a science class or wondered if you belong there, this episode is for you.
Dig Deeper
Fail-safe Science (https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe) - hear how other scientists overcame challenges.
Lab Coat Optional (https://research.asu.edu/news/podcast/) - checkout this podcast to feed more of your science curiosity.
If you have not already, please subscribe (askabiologistpodcast.buzzsprout.com/) to the podcast so you can be notified about new episodes.
