Are you sleep deprived? Do you spend the majority of your weeknights in the library? Do you stress-eat chocolate to get through your homework for the night? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you are likely a science major! I have to admit; I question my choice of major more often that I probably should. I knew that I wanted to do something involving health sciences for a while, but I did not know what I actually wanted my undergraduate major to be. Eventually, I chose biology (I want to be a physical therapist).

When I started taking biology and chemistry classes my freshman year of college, I had a feeling right away that it would be hard. The labs take up so much time, not to mention the lectures, recitations, and hours spent in the library doing homework. So much time has to be spent outside of the classes themselves doing work in order to get by, and let me tell you, it can get very stressful. Science majors will never judge you for crying about schoolwork because they most likely know the feeling. Staying up past midnight even when you have an 8am class the next day is also a norm (and contrary to popular belief, it’s not usually staying up late to party with your roommates). The science building becomes your best friend (and worst enemy). I know my way around that place probably better than I know my way around my own room, even though I often dread stepping foot into it. When am I ever going to have to draw the geometric isomer of a cyclohexane molecule in my future career as a physical therapist? I do not know. Do I still have to learn how to do it? If I want to pass my next chemistry test, then yes.

Even though my science major classes cause me more stress than is probably healthy for a girl my age, I do not regret my choice of major in college. I definitely do not enjoy all of my science classes, but there are certain ones that I find truly interesting, and this is what satisfies me with my major. I know that it is difficult, but when there are those times that I find myself enjoying what I am learning, I am assured that I made a good choice. There are so many different paths that science can take you in life, and health sciences are thriving today more than ever, so choosing a science major in college (if it is something that you can see yourself working with for a long time) is surely not a bad route to take.