To major in Biology or not...that is the question. Undergrads & HS students...read this to avoid my mistakes. It will help you

I have a B.S. in Biology. Sometimes I think that stands for bull S#it in Biology. I went into college extremely interested in Biology…but also interested in Psychology and Journalism and Creative Writing.

As someone just out of high school and a first time generation college student…I had a lot of pressure from my family to go and be a doctor. Nobody even really knew what being a doctor entailed. Once I entered the reality of pre-med and med school life, I realized that I did not want that life for myself. I had spent 5 years studying Biology and Chemistry. Chemistry was torturous and Physics was too. I volunteered at a skin cancer center and presented my research in front of people and I published my works. The deeper that I got into this life, the more I realized that I did not like it. Once I climbed one mountain, another one was in front of me (biochemistry). Why study something that does not interest me? Once I began working with patients…I realized how difficult that was and I was already so dissatisfied in a career that I hadn’t even begun.

It was too late to turn back. I finished the degree. Then, I couldn’t find a job for a biology person. I ended up in a dreadful position at Dillard’s working in the Juniors section and cleaning out fitting rooms. It was a very low point in my life. I had put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into my education and there I was…back at square one.

Unfortunately, where I live, there are not many jobs for Biology degreed people. I found some lab tech positions and those were very unsatisfying and monotonous. I inched my way up the career ladder to be a quality specialist for a biotech company. This position was a step up from doing lab work, but it was boring as all heck.

A twist of fate landed me and everyone at the company “laid off”. The good thing about this is that I went back to school. I am working on a Masters degree in School Counseling. Something that I am actually VERY INTERESTED IN. In my future position, I plan on giving back to high school students that need help planning their academic and career future. If I would have had even a smidgent of guidance on this topic, I would be probably be settled in a career that I enjoy. I will get there someday, but the lesson has been learned.

How does my grad life compare to undergrad life? Well, I love my classes. All of them and I have thought through things like job opportunities, schedule, pay…etc. All of that adds up.

The moral of the story is……… study what you want to study. Control your own destiny. Do your research before hand….discovering along the way can cause so many issues that affect your other roles in life.

If you ask me…….I would advise you to see a career counselor and start planning your future. If you don’t want to see a career counselor or can’t. I know of a lot of online resources to help.

If you heed my advice….you will spend your academic time invested in something that has more certainty…than something that could land you trapped.

I look forward to hearing from anyone on this matter (: