On Campus Event

In theory, it should be relatively easy to pick a major. All one has to do is figure out what they like to do and what they could see themselves doing with their life and study the subject. That said, I still haven’t declared a major. While I’m leaning to Biology, I’ve started to re-evaluate my decision and figure out what I really enjoy. This is mostly due to my current Biology class, “Biodiversity.” After a few weeks of attending the class, I’ve realized that I can’t stand the ecological aspect of Biology. So I’ve started to think about the question of a biology major period. Is it right for me, or am I just trying to follow in my dad’s footsteps and become an MD? It is for this reason that I went to a biology presentation by Nancey Street, the associate dean at UT Southwestern grad school, for my on campus event. I’m very glad I went because I now know that there is no way that I want to do research. Don’t get me wrong, research is great. I would love the big picture ideas involved in research. Being able to find out the reason why a certain type of heart attack occurs (part of the lecture) in 5% of heart attack victims is fascinating. It’s observing a problem, trying to figure out why it occurs both in individuals and on the molecular level, and fixing the problems through the development of drugs. I would love to be involved in such a project when it is considered on the large scale. What I would hate is the day-to-day life. She discussed the grad school program and stated that the first two years is primarily spent in a laboratory with an instructor. She even stated that UT Southwestern was unique in that there were windows in the laboratories (Apparently a revolutionary concept). Even just thinking about being stuck in a laboratory bores me. I just can’t see myself using pipettes and doing titrations for a living. What I think I would love however, is human interaction. I think I would do much better if I could talk to individuals and realize that they’re not just molecules but living and breathing humans with personality. With interaction, it suddenly becomes more than a way to solve a molecular problem. Putting a face to the problem creates so much more meaning for me and lets me see that what I’m doing could be helpful to someone. While I’m still not 100% sure that I want to major in Biology, I am certain that I don’t want to have a career in research. Unfortunately, it might depend on how I do in my Organic Chemistry class that I’m sure to love next year.