This article is for rising college freshmen who are majoring in biology. The following paragraphs are tips from my first semester in biology classes. I am providing you with advice, given my experience. This is not to frighten you in any way, but to motivate you and to get you excited about the years to come! And fellow biology majors, feel free to look back at the good old days of freshman year.
A good many biology majors intend on becoming doctors in the future. We want to graduate from college, apply to medical schools and graduate from those. Some dream of being General Practitioners, and others dream of completing surgical residencies at hospitals. However, in order for us to fulfill these dreams, we have to major in biology and suffer some not-so-good moments.
When you go to your first Biology lecture (BIO 111 at Lander,) you will think that the upcoming chapters are going to be a breeze because it is basically the same stuff that you learned in high school. Let me provide you with a sweet little reminder and tell you that that is not the truth, so get that out of your head right now. But, you will not listen to me and you too will think that you do not need to study for your first test. "Abby," you're saying, "it cannot be that hard." Yeah, it was for me. The first test did not go so well, but did I change my ways for the second? Nope. I found out the hard way that professors can and will ask questions on exams about stuff that y'all did not even go over in class. You better start reading that expensive textbook that you had to buy, or else you will be trying to figure out if your mood that day is telling you to pick option A or option B.
Along with biology lecture, you will be provided with (read: forced to do) a biology lab as well. Seriously, though, you should really be glad about and cherish those 3 hours. It will really give you time to go over stuff with your lab professor that your lecture professor did not even touch in class. You might think that lab will be easy, but let me remind you again that you need to stop thinking that things are going to be easy just because it is your freshman year. You are in college now, as I constantly had to remind myself, things are not handed to you anymore. With each harder chapter, you begin to wonder if biology is right for you. I cannot remember how many times I contemplated switching majors, nor do I want to know. Your other classes are fine, so why not major in one of those? All of these things and more rushed into my head on an hourly basis.
Anyway, after you check your grade on Blackboard with your newly added Bio test in, you will finally realize that you need to "get your head in the game" (Troy Bolton, that is your cue.) The first thing to come to terms with is, if you are personally struggling in the class then there is a high probability that a lot of other people are struggling too. So, with that being said, find your group. Your group will be the group of people you probably have another science lecture and lab with. These will be the people that you eat lunch and dinner with after labs and lectures, and who you will study late at night within the library. Take comfort in these people, because they will help you and you will help them.
With your study group, you soon realize that there is truly a hidden joy in studying and in biology. You find your inner nerd and embrace all that it encompasses. When you check your third and fourth test scores on Blackboard, you are blown away by what a little hard work, sweat and a lot of crying can do (seriously, do not let the number of tears that will be shed freak you out.)
My first semester, it took me a long time to realize what I needed to do to push myself and challenge myself. I spent countless weeks trying to decide what study method worked best for me, and there honestly is not a right answer. You need to find your groove in order to succeed as a freshman biology major. Good luck to everyone embarking on their freshman year of college! I hope that my first semester of freshman year recap will be a lifesaver to y'all! Here is a nice little reminder:
