I’m starting my sophomore year, and am on track to a biology degree. I’m almost positive I don’t want to pursue biology with my life. The reason I chose it was because since childhood, I’ve considered myself “environmental,” and ecology seemed the way to go. I can’t think of any other direction I can possibly go.
My only two wishes are to be happy, and to help other people. My girlfriend of 5 years is a theater major back home (a 12 hour drive,) and all friends I have here are history, theater, or political studies majors. I am curious if that’s a hint to what my interests are, but I’m not sure. One of the reason I chose science is because I’m good at it, but I’d rather push myself and grow as a person than follow the easy road. Changing my major now would mean devoting my time solely to these courses, and that would be chaotic, but I don’t know what else to do. My major also changes how people see me and how they interact with me.
And by the way, my freshmen year was equally chaotic. I jumped on the biology bandwagon late, because I didn’t know what else to do.
Do you have a Career or Academic Advising office on campus? Schedule an appointment with them. They have a variety of interest inventories you can take and will provide you with some career counseling to help you make this decision. Some offices even offer full semester classes that let you explore your values, interests and skills and how they relate to various majors and careers. There may be careers in the fields you are interested in that you can pursue with a biology degree.
I’ve taken history, polisci, and philosophy, and theater classes, due to distribution requirements. I loved philosophy the most, but it also feels like the least applicable, and I can study philosophy on my own.
I’ve always loved theater, but I’ve never been sure about that, either. Besides my partner, who’s getting a BFA, I have littee affiliation to it.
There’s an “environmental and urban studies” department, and I’m taking the pre-reqs this year, if anything, because it’s fundamental knowledge you need to know. The problem with that program is it’s incredibly broad. What’s your opinion on interdisciplinary programs? I’ve mostly heard negative thoughts.
Why would a narrow major be better than a broad major? Presumably within the large set of course offerings in a “broad” major, you would choose a subset on a narrower topic of your choosing. The issue is whether the environmental and urban studies major is more interesting to you than your bio major, which you have already said is not appealing to you. I assume that with relevant internships, either major would be equally employable.
You want environmental SCIENCE not ‘studies’ .
You could also transfer to colleges where it’s a focus - Warren Wilson, College of the Atlantic, Suny esf, Humboldt, not to mention the quality of environmental science at lots of 'famous ’ universities. Some universities also offer a sustainability concentration or minor. Look into that. Or would you be interested in data science applied to social sciences?
And of course you can double major, major and minor, or take lots of classes of interest in addition to our major.
Biology in itself doesn’t have an especially good roi professionally speaking so don’t worry about switching from a purely practical point of view, and since you’re just a sophomore you have one year to make up your mind.
Talk to professors, go to the career center, try to get in touch with alumni
Thank you. I’ve contacted the career center. As a matter of fact, when I was looking for colleges, I visited COA. I received their fall fly-in award. I chose my current college (Bard) because of the diversity and size.
Unfortunately, the Env. studies program requires econ classes, and you have to dredge through that to get to science. my advisor recommended straight Biology, and focus in on ecology/environmental classes.
I agree with CheddarcheeseMN, any major can apply.
But what I’m afraid of is just the dramatic shift. As a Sophomore, changing this late in the game seems absurd and messy. But It feels like it’s what I have to do.
Could you do Environmental Studies with a biology minor (concentrating on ecology/environmental topics)?
Doesn’t Bard allow a “create your own major” option where you could create your own “Ecology, Environmental Science &Sustainability” major?
Changing as a sophomore is very common. Freshmen explore interests and often figure out that what they “thought” the major was from a HS vantage point,doesn’t match the actuality of the major nor the new perspectives gained in college. Sophomores refine their choices and decide in the Spring semester.
they don’t allow that, for some unexplained reason, but it’s possible I can focus the biology major into environmental science.
I just want to make the best of my college experience, and that’s truly defined by what you study and the friends you make. The last two are often connected since you’d spend a lot of time with similar majors.
I also want to study so much - history, computer science, political science, etc. That’s clearly not what a single major does teaches.
Look into those possibilities, and possible minors/concentrations.
Based on the Bard catalog, you’d need to take Citizen Science, Intro to Bio, Biostats, Genetics, and Ecology, then 4 other classes, including using the College Field Station. Adding some computing (since you’re interested in CS), perhaps Natural History/History of Nature would probably fulfill some interests, plus further ecology, conservation, urban ecology should work?
I would think the simplest path would be doing what your advisor suggested - moderating in Biology but with a focus on environmental issues. There should be enough courses for you to take with that as a focus - and you can tailor your Senior Project to your interests.
If I were you I would speak to the professors with whom you’ve developed a rapport and get their advice. If you don’t seem committed to Biology they may not let you moderate right away anyway - so you do want to find the right path. I know the professors at Bard are more than willing to help students define their interests and find areas of study which will most satisfy them.
There’s also the alternative of creating your own concentration but you’d want a clearer idea of your path of interest:
Multidisciplinary Studies allows a student to select an area of study or develop an individual approach to an area and then design a program that integrates material from different programs and divisions in order to pursue that study.
To concentrate in Multidisciplinary Studies, a student must submit a proposal to the Executive Committee requesting approval for such a concentration. The ideal time for the proposal is in the second semester of the sophomore year, as a substitute for Moderation into an existing program during that semester. Students interested in Multidisciplinary Studies should consult with the dean of studies for information on the application process and for guidance in formulating the proposal. For a proposal to be approved, the following must hold: the student must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher; the proposed list of courses must include in-depth study in two or more disciplines; and the proposed adviser and Moderation Board members must have the expertise to supervise the proposed plan of study.
There’s also Science Technology and Society which might bridge a number of your interests: http://www.bard.edu/academics/programs/details/?id=1992081&pid=921 The interrelation of scientific and technological systems with social and political life has become perhaps the most pressing concern of modern society. Science, Technology, and Society (STS) provides a rigorous approach to this area in conjunction with a primary discipline in the social sciences, arts, literature, or the natural sciences. Developing from its foundation in the history and philosophy of science, STS acts as a bridge between the social studies disciplines and natural sciences. It complements the focus of the Experimental Humanities (EH) program on media in literature and the arts. Students can use the resources of STS for the extradisciplinary exploration often demanded by contemporary issues in technology and science, while the primary academic or scientific field—for instance, anthropology, physics, or economics—provides a base of methodological skills and perspective.
