If you are currently an undergraduate college student in any of the biological sciences related degree fields, you may relate. Choosing a major in the sciences is never easy, no matter the university you attend. And even in a field as generic as biology, classes and new subjects get tricky and complex. It's all a part of attempting to understand the world, even when it feels daunting.
1. Having to take CHEM 1211
Freshman Chemistry. Literally, the worst thing that has ever happened to you during freshman year. You register for the class, thinking "how bad can it be?" and then next thing you know you have approximately 20 assignments in a single week. You need tutoring for the first time in your life. You have to actually sit down and put in grueling hours. You feel personally victimized by the class. And don't even get me started about how all of this is a pre-requisite to actually taking an intro biology class.
2. Taking more than one lab class a week
A whole part of science is laboratory work. It is a highly important aspect of understanding and discovering the environment. Unfortunately for you, it means spending three hours in a classroom on your feet, more than once a week. All of those credits necessary for your major have got to be packed in somehow, right? It seems possible, but then halfway through the semester you realize you have to take labs for biology, organic chemistry, physics, the list goes on. And it's a whole other story if you get stuck with terrible lab partners.
3. "So are you Pre-Med?"
Everyone assumes that you're pre-med if you're a biology major, but let me get one thing straight: you can do so much more with a degree in bio than go to medical school. You could go a varying number of routes such as pharmacy, PA, dental; you could go into research and lab work, you could teach at a university, you could even work for the CDC. There are so many options, and having such a catch-all major means it is easier to keep an open mind.
4. Registering for classes
"Do I need to take summer classes?" "What about applying for internships and jobs?" "What about studying abroad for a semester?" "Can I really handle Calculus I and Organic Chemistry I at the same time?" "What about when I get into my major based classes?" "Can I actually do this?" "Is it all worth it?!?"
5. Having to make sure your resume is up to par
This is basically the equivalent of what young adults like to call "adulting." Some may have made a resume for themselves in high school, but it was probably unlikely that your local Panera really cared about the number of times you volunteered at a food pantry two years ago. Of course, when you decide to go into the field of your choice, you have to be able to find a job. You probably want to be employed right out of college, and therefore you must start using Microsoft Word's Resume template setting to accomplish that for yourself.
These are just a few of the struggles biology majors face. Insane amounts of time studying, finding the right calculators to use on math problems, having to deal with your know-it-all lab partners, it honestly never ends. But then you remember that it's all worth it because of that degree! And if that's not motivation, I don't know what is.
