To The Bio Major Who Feels Like They're Drowning, You'll Swim Soon Enough

Dear Biology Major,

I know things are dark right now. Between anatomy and physiology, cell molec, organic chemistry, and immunology - you're feeling downright worn out. Every cell in your body (which you know all too well about) is exhausted from the late night study sessions and long days of making flashcards. No matter how much your anatomy professor tells you about the importance of sleep, you still don't seem to get enough of it. How could you? With at least one exam every week and countless diagrams and graphs to memorize.

This major is a lot of hard work.

You might not be the smartest in your class, or the one with the most AP classes done from high school - but you're passionate. You have a deep seeded love for biology that was planted one day and never left. Whether your bio classes in high school peaked your interest, or you got a Netter anatomy textbook for your 16th birthday, something grabbed you about this field of study.

Look around you. At your classmates, peers, research assistants, and lab partners. These people are in it with you, looking for a life raft just as desperately as you are. While it's not recommended to do this if you're really drowning, grab onto them. Find friends and study mates who are struggling just as much about cell signaling as you are. Look for a classmate who knows about the endocrine system inside and out and is willing to explain it to you. Talk to the people around your lab bench and help each other write the best labs every week.

You may be drowning, but you're not alone.

Someone can teach you how to swim, others may offer a life jacket to keep you above water. Don't go it alone. Every part of your body is working in harmony to keep you alive. While your neurons send signals to let you know what need attention, your mucosal cells in your nose and throat keep pathogens out of your lungs. The muscles in your hand may be cramping as you take more notes, but your brain is there to soak up all the information and make it worth it. Every living organism has a system around it to support it and keep it going. Your system as a bio major are your classmates, your friends, your professors, and family.

If you have to pull an all-nighter to study for your bones test, treat yourself to a nap after the exam or a hot shower. If you're going to skip going out with your friends in favor of wrapping up your lab reports for the week, find another time to see them when you're less busy. Take the time you need to take good care of yourself. You've learned what it takes to keep the human body going, so provide it with rest and nutrients and stimulation.

You're going to get through this. One day, you'll make it to grad school, or med school, or find a teaching job you love. Maybe you'll get a job in a research lab, or go back for an accelerated degree to shift gears after you finish. No matter what happens, you will learn to adapt and survive. Be proud of your STEM major, know you look damn good in a lab coat and goggle marks, and get to work. You've got this.

Sincerely,

A Senior Biology Major