<p>I'm currently a freshman at Berry College, majoring in Environmental Science. Berry was not my first choice school, but I came here for financial reasons. It was really fun at first, but after the feeling of adventure wore off, I don't really like it here. My classes seem way too easy and they're boring to me because they aren't very challenging--I barely studied and I made high A's in all of my classes. Of course, that could just be because I'm a freshman and I'm taking introductory courses. I want to go to grad school for marine biology, so I'm questioning my decision to come to a landlocked school with no marine bio courses. I'm from the beach and I surf, so being away from the beach is really weird for me.
I originally decided not to go into marine bio as an undergrad because I felt like if I changed my mind about my career after I graduated, there wasn't much I could do with a marine bio degree except marine bio. Now I'm wondering if I made a mistake in choosing a school that doesn't really have any marine bio courses.
I'm thinking about transferring to a school on the coast that has a marine bio program. Would this be a good idea? There are some days where I love Berry--the professors get to know you, there are small class sizes, and there are a LOT of job opportunities (I currently work in the Office of Sustainability and the biology research lab). The only reason that I don't want to transfer is because of the opportunities I would have here, and the friends I've made. But there are a lot of days where I feel like I wouldn't miss Berry at all.
Any advice as to what I should do?</p>
<p>You need to sit down with your advisor, and talk about the best way to prepare yourself for the career you are interested in. </p>
<p>Will it require graduate school? Then ask about which courses to take at Berry, and which internships/jobs you should try for in order to have a better chance to get into the grad school you want.</p>
<p>Would the career you want not require grad school? Then get some advice about whether or not you should consider transferring. Your advisor has had this kind of conversation before, probably many many times, and won’t dislike you for asking about transferring!</p>
<p>You wrote: “I’m from the beach and I surf, so being away from the beach is really weird for me.” Part of your difficulty at Berry certainly must be due to the cultural adjustment of moving to a very different part of the country. That can be just as hard as moving to a different country entirely! There are a lot of good things to read about adjusting to a new culture. My favorite is “The Art of Crossing Cultures” by Craig Storti. </p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>
If you’re unhappy because it doesn’t have a marine biology program…no. If you’re unhappy because you feel like you don’t fit in…maybe. I will give you the same advice I give every other prospective marine biologist.</p>
<p>(1) You DO NOT need to be on the coast in order to be prepared for graduate studies in marine biology. Courses in phycology and ichthyology at this point are unnecessary luxuries. You need to focus on the basics – genetics and molecular bio, biochemistry, ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, and invert/vert zoology (animal physiology if not available). You’ll also need general and organic chemistry, math at least through calculus, calc-based physics, and statistics. Some comp sci and/or geology courses wouldn’t hurt. These courses can be taken anywhere. There are many people here at UCLA who came from landlocked undergrads (including me).</p>
<p>(2) Find ways to do research on the coast. Some examples:
— Berry has a link with the Gulf Coast lab run by USM. Other colleges run marine labs, including Cornell, Duke, and Alabama.
— The Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole (not to be confused with WHOI) offers a [summer</a> internship](<a href=“http://www.mbl.edu/mrc/outreach/interns.html]summer”>http://www.mbl.edu/mrc/outreach/interns.html).
— The [REU</a> program](<a href=“Search Results for REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation”>REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation) provides funded research in oceanography; every student I’ve known from URI’s SURFO program has gotten into an awesome grad program.
— The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a [summer</a> internship](<a href=“http://www.mbari.org/education/internship/genintern.htm]summer”>Internships • MBARI).
— The Fish & Wildlife Service offers summer internships.
— Look [url=<a href=“http://www.biology.duke.edu/jackson/ecophys/temp.htm]here[/url”>Physiological Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America]here[/url</a>] for summer ecology internships. </p>
<p>(3) Get used to not living on the coast. Yes, it’s nice to be near what you study, but that’s just not always possible. Once you get your PhD in marine biology, your options are either to go into academia, work for the government, or go into industry, with the first two being by far the most popular options. Going into academia requires you to be flexible about relocating; you go where the jobs are. Government jobs in marine biology are usually more likely to be located in coastal areas, but they’re few in number. Private sector jobs are usually inland – zoos, aquariums, museums, factories needing limnological analysis, etc. Even if you do live on the coast, many areas are not conducive to surfing.</p>
<p>My advice is to stick it out at Berry. Take the courses you need for grad school. Do research on campus. Berry’s campus is huge and one of the most biologically diverse in the world, so take advantage of it. Did you know that it even has jellies in the reservoir? </p>
<p>If you do decide to transfer, be sure to choose a rigorous college with a low cost of attendance (i.e. either a public in your home state or a private college with excellent financial aid). I don’t know your stats, which would help me recommend good schools. U Miami has unquestionably the best undergraduate program in the country. Many of the California and especially Florida publics have excellent marine science programs.</p>
<p>I need help!! I am currently a freshman at American University in Washington, DC. In my senior year of high school I was very unsure of where I wanted to go, and I picked AU because I got a freshman internship and the city, and new it was a good school.
My first semester was good and bad, I found a group of friends, who I always hung out with and went out with. And we were all in the same dorm in a close family type of dorm, a little off main campus, with only 125 students. But now (second semester) I feel like I am losing the friendships, and it is awkward with my roommate most days. I feel like I do not fit in with the mold of this school, at all. Second semester I moved on to main campus with my same roommate, which I thought would be easier, and give me the ability to meet new people. But I have not found a close nitch of friends or anyone who enjoys the same things I do, or has the same interests. The campus is very small, and everyone seems to have his or her own group of friends already, also, I do not fit in with the typical AU student (preppy, very wealthy, and Greek). Both of my good (girl) friends both joined the same sorority (not my thing) and I feel left out when they go off with their new sorority friends.<br>
The campus is very diverse and a lot of international students, who tend to stick together. The nightlife at AU is pretty boring on campus, just frat parties every weekend that can get lame and repetitive. There are bunches of clubs, and bars to go out in DC but they cost money, and you need to have a fake I.D. or go to an 18+ place.<br>
I have joined an intramural basketball team, work at AU for events, and an internship with AU for sports marketing. But still nothing has not paid off and I have yet to find people that I click with. And most times I get down and feel very depressed, and lonely. I also, am very unhappy 24/7, nothing makes me happy anymore and it makes it harder to be outgoing. And right now I am not finding the good in college.
I am starting to think I really want to transfer, is this a good decision? Also, I am a very indecisive person and have been thinking almost too much what is the right thing to do. But another thing that I think about is I do not know where I want to transfer too, because I am scared the same thing will happen (socially), not the right fit, not the right college experience. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>mar333, I think you need to start your own thread. Then people will be focusing on you. Good luck.</p>
<p>I just did today, I was unsure at first how to create my own thread</p>