Whether your major is biology, chemistry, neuroscience, or any other that deals with a lot of numbers, theories, experiments, and impossible-to-memorize facts, you know the pressures of pursuing a career in this field. So, without further ado, here are seven truths about being a science major.
1. There is no “syllabus week."
Coming back to college in the fall is one of the best times of the year. Welcome week has become most students' favorite on-campus holiday. But then you have syllabus week: another widely celebrated week of no responsibilities… Unless you're a science major that is. While your other friends get to enjoy this week of getting to know their professors and class expectations, you get to learn about IUPAC nomenclature of alkanes on the first day of organic chem.
2. Your heart breaks every time you have to buy a new textbook.
Somehow every professor seems to have their own "special edition" textbook for class… And somehow it's always a couple of hundred bucks… And somehow, it's ALWAYS required.
3. Hearing "attendance is not mandatory," but knowing attendance is VERY mandatory.
Your professor will tell you that they don't take attendance. Your professor will put all lecture slides online. Your professor will even record their lectures and make those available as well. Yet if you still don't go to class, you'll fail for sure. Coming into lecture after missing just one day feels like everyone has learned an entirely new language.
4. You're never the smartest person in your class anymore.
No matter what subject, what class or what concentration, there will always be someone who is just that much better at it than you.
5. You get totally geeked out when you learn an awesome new fact.
Today in genetics you learned about mosaicism. The fact that somebody can have a disease in part of their total body cells but normal throughout all others gets you so hype. Even though you know that your family, friends, and neighbors don't actually care about your science facts, you HAVE to tell them all anyways.
6. There is never enough time in a day.
You are always stuck choosing between studying, eating, sleeping and having fun. If you're lucky, you'll get three of these done in one day. But if you're a risk-taker, you can try to do all of these at once.
7. You question your major (and your sanity) almost daily.
This is especially true when it's 3 a.m. on a Tuesday night and you've already consumed a gallon of Starbucks trying to learn everything possible before your 8 a.m. Or maybe this is more prevalent when you have only made it through about half of the biochem chapter and you have to leave for your three-hour lab before your exam this afternoon. Regardless, you constantly wonder if all the stress is actually worth it, but somehow always decide that it is.