<p>Sure, if you don’t actually like biology, you can just memorize definitions for the test and do well, and then forget them a week later.</p>
<p>But I love learning biology. I love understanding how the different body systems all affect each other, how genes are expressed, why different angiosperms flower in particular seasons.</p>
<p>Hasn’t anyone that’s been through high school realized that memorization gets you nowhere? I have. I memorize conjugations for Spanish all the time. I take the test, ace it, and then forget them a week later. I do the same thing with history. I acknowledge that I’m not actually learning that way. I’m not going to bash Spanish and History majors and tell them their passion is just memorization. They’re the ones who aren’t memorizing something because they have to, they’re learning it because they want to. I admire that.</p>
<p>I’m sure when I get to college there will be biology majors who are in it because, in their minds, it’s the easiest way to get to Med School. But I’m planning on majoring in biology because I love it; it’d be great if people who prefer mathematics, chem, or psychics and claim that “biology is just memorization” would respect that. </p>
<p>And why are we undermining a field of study by trying to prove that other fields provide more opportunities to make a difference in the world and help people? Why shouldn’t we pursue learning something simply because it interests us?</p>