Tackling a Biology Major and being a Student Athlete?

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question was asked to me many times as I think back on my childhood. My answer constantly changed every time someone asked me. I remember having the cliché answers like a doctor or a teacher. I also remember really wanting to become a dentist. Looking back on those answers I can’t help but laugh because every child you ask says the same thing. As I grew up through the years, my ideas of what I wanted to be became very narrow and channeled in on one common major: biology. Through personal experience I feel a biology degree would be the stepping-stone I need to ultimately pursue a degree in the medical field and become an Oncology Pharmacist.


Biology is a very broad major, however it can be as specific as you want to make it. Being that I want to go into the medical field, I plan on pursuing human biology. Before officially declaring my major in biology, I feel it is important for me to know what types of courses and how many credits I will need in order to graduate. According to the BSU Biological Science web page, I need 120 credits to graduate. I anticipated the major to be at first some basic understanding biology classes and then being able to really focus on the aspect of the degree I want to obtain later on. In reality, after researching I found that within the 120 credits needed to obtain the degree, many areas of study are included. Obviously biology classes are a large part of the major as well as chemistry, physics, math, and general elective courses. Science and math have always been two of my favorite subjects growing up so I feel pursuing a degree that emphasizes both of them will be something I will enjoy. After researching the major, I also found that the number of credits needed to obtain a biology degree is more than a typical liberal arts degree. By researching what exactly the degree entails as far as coursework, has helped to relieve some of the anxious feelings I have about it. I have heard from many that it is a very challenging major, but I feel like the harder I work now; the more rewarding it will be in the future.


Now that I have actually started college I realize how difficult the next few years will be for me as I try to tackle this degree and be a student athlete at the same time. I have started some beginning biology and chemistry classes and they are some of my hardest classes. I anticipated this would be the case after talking to a few people about the major. Being an athlete in this case has its advantages and disadvantages. It is a lot harder to find time to get my schoolwork done and study for tests when 20+ hours of my week are devoted to practice and various activities. On the plus side, we have 8 hours of mandatory study hall to ensure that we get our work done in a timely manner. We also have academic advisors who meet with us weekly to discuss how we are doing, help us plan our semester schedules, and get us tutors if we need them. I think the added support we get will definitely be a key factor in helping me succeed in the uphill battle. These next few years will not be easy but will be worth it in the end!