<p>Hey guys,
I'm a high school senior who is very interested in eventually going for a PhD in some field of biology. I understand that it's kind of early for me to be posting here, and honestly, I'm not 110% sure I want to go to grad school, or stick with biology. I have had a few research opportunities in the past (Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist, whoo!) and I loved them, but I'm guessing high school research is pretty different from grad school research. (Plus, I've read the entire archives of PhD comics. :P) They way I figure it, I have a few more years to decide. Nevertheless, for the last couple years, I've considered grad school as my "default" for what to do after undergrad.</p>
<p>I have a few questions:
1. How will I know if grad school is "right" for me?
2. I already have paid research opportunities at my undergrad institution for next year (which, while not even in the top 50 for undergrad, is pretty respectable at research). Would it be best to stay in one lab for a long time, or to try a few different projects?
3. What types of non-biology classes should I take? I'm interested in anthropology, but I'm looking more advice on math/science classes beyond the intro level.</p>
<p>I had more questions, but I can't think of them now!</p>
<p>By the way, I'm most interested in fields like evolutionary biology, ecology, and developmental biology, but I'm very interested in interdisciplinary approaches to these subjects.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You won’t really know whether graduate school is for you until you can survive a WHOLE summer or two of solid lab research (yes, while the cool kids get to play in the sand). You’ll know it when you realize that you love how your whole life revolves around your topic.</p></li>
<li><p>Try to rotate a few labs to figure out exactly what kind of research you like. Also you’ll gain more experience that way- people will show you new things and tricks that you can carry on.</p></li>
<li><p>As for electives, choose those that actually interest you!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You pretty much know everything there is to know from reading Phd comics.</p>
<ol>
<li>How will I know if grad school is “right” for me?</li>
</ol>
<p>This can only be determined in hindsight. Try research when you start college and see if you like the kind of challenges you come across. Are you going to be a patient person, willing to wait days or weeks just to see if an experiment worked? Are you willing to put a lot of work and time into something that may not pan out? How risk averse are you?
You are only going to be able to find this out by trying.</p>
<ol>
<li>I already have paid research opportunities at my undergrad institution for next year (which, while not even in the top 50 for undergrad, is pretty respectable at research). Would it be best to stay in one lab for a long time, or to try a few different projects?</li>
</ol>
<p>I worked in three different labs as an undergrad. In retrospect that was a mistake. I might have been better served by spending more time in just one lab where I could have accumulated significant experience in a few techniques rather than becoming mediocre at lots of techniques. However, if you are in a lab you don’t like, you should consider cutting your losses are trying another.</p>
<ol>
<li>What types of non-biology classes should I take? I’m interested in anthropology, but I’m looking more advice on math/science classes beyond the intro level.</li>
</ol>
<p>Take stats. You will hate it but it is really valuable for data heavy sciences.</p>