Why choose a science major? Obviously this is an answer that varies a lot person-to-person, but I have been asked it enough now that I think it is time to address the elephant in the room once and for all.
I can’t take credit for navigating the overwhelming maze that is picking a major at university alone, and I sought a lot of advice from older friends, parents, high school and college advisors, and websites and blogs. This is everything I thought was helpful as I was choosing a major, so I hope you might find it useful as well!
Feeling out your interests early on
I was fortunate in the fact I was able to explore my interests in high school. I would strongly encourage you to try as many different sports/extracurriculars/classes as you can while still in high school to explore your interests for free (or a lot cheaper than paying by the class at university).
During my senior year of high school, I was divided between business, law, and science. (I know, EXTREMELY different fields, right?) I joined my school’s mock trial team to understand more about law, and sought out a volunteer internship at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities laboratories to learn more about science. I also discovered business could be applied to law or science, later realizing all three can, in fact, blend together. I was still divided between law and science even as I went on to picking a university, but from seeking out experiences in both areas early on I knew this wasn’t just out of indifference and actually enjoyed both fields.
Picking the university that is right for you
I was still undecided on what my career path would be, as I am sure many of you are who are reading this. That’s OK! Lots of my friends didn’t even decide what they were truly passionate in until their first or second year at university.
To the best of my ability, I narrowed down potential schools using the criteria below:
- Location
- Scholarships/Grants
- University’s specialization
- Size
- Campus
- Networking Opportunities
- Extra-Curricular / Volunteer / Job Opportunities
Everyone weighs different factors with varying levels of importance and there is a lot of overlap between them all. I cared most about the potential opportunities each school could give me in the fields I was interested in, in classes, extracurriculars, and career/networking. This led me to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a school that is close to my parents (~4-hour drive), cheap tuition for Minnesota residents, a large research institution with many lab opportunities, and strong majors in science, law, and business.
Not sure your Freshman year? Branch out and take those intro classes
Now you have picked the university, but you are far from finished choosing your career. Even for those of you who think you know exactly what you want to do, a university can change so much of that by opening your eyes to infinite career possibilities!
Over the summer I did as much research as I could about professions in law, science, and business and was leaning towards a science major entering Freshman year. Because of this, I decided to apply to work in a lab straight away, to sort out once and for all whether lab life is for me. (Spoiler alert: Lab life is for me.)
To keep my options open, not only did I take the intro science classes but also the intro business and law classes. I am so thankful I did this and recommend everyone do the same, if possible! While yes, technically some of these classes may not end up counting for your final major you graduate with, but the information you learn will be enormously valuable to whether or not you are interested in the field enough to stick with it as a career and keeps avenues open you could explore post-university.
While getting a degree in a topic is important, a lot can be learned post-undergraduate education. For example, law schools actually prefer candidates to have studied something other than law in undergrad to ensure their students are able to think beyond one narrow range of “law” thought.
I took a couple economics classes and a psychology class to keep options open if I wanted to pursue a business major. I never did end up following through with the business major, as I learned a lot of the major can be learned just by experience after university, but I did stick with my intro law classes that fueled my passion to continue my education in that major.
Network and ask those hard questions
I don’t know anyone who enjoys networking, but it is a must-do for every single profession out there. I started my summer between high school and university, but I would recommend you try as early as possible, even in high school if you want! I met people through the internships and volunteer work I had done in high school, asking to meet them for coffee just to learn a bit about their career and how they got to where they are.
After my first and second year of university, who I spoke to and what I spoke to them about expanded beyond connections made in jobs and volunteer positions and into people I found on LinkedIn or a colleague’s friend. Instead of asking just about their life story, how they got to their career, I would begin to ask what experiences would be important for someone trying to go into your career and what internships would you recommend.
Slowly but surely it gets easier reaching out to people because as long as you aren’t trying to get a job or something from them, most people are very happy to sit and talk about how they got to where they are and offer advice! It will also help you a million times more than reading different blogs about different professions or taking “what is my dream career” quizzes. (But you still can, I did a lot of both myself.) By networking, you will get advice and knowledge directly from someone whose shoes you might want to be in 10-20 years.
Do what feels right for you, don’t try to fit a mold!
Finally, and most importantly, don’t think of any major you pick as limiting. Science majors don’t have to go on to be scientists, law majors don’t have to go on to be lawyers. Your degree doesn’t define you, rather your degree shows that you know how to learn quickly, your passions and interests.
As I learn more about every day, even with a Ph.D. in science there are endless possibilities beyond becoming a scientist in academia or industry. There is scientific writing, moving into the business sector, moving into law as a patent lawyer or agent, teaching, and more. Focus less on “I want to become a doctor of medicine so I need a biology degree” and more on “I want to become a doctor because I want to help people so I’m going to take healthcare classes.”
Follow your passions, not what some textbook outlines as the proper procedure for getting into law school or how to start your own business. No matter what you choose to do, you will always end up where you are supposed to be as long as you keep at it.
I ended up majoring in Molecular Biology and Legal Studies, with a minor in Leadership. I learned quickly how much I loved working in a lab, which I could only continue doing if I majored in science. A science major also shows employers you know how to think critically and face repeated challenges with the grueling science classes (especially lab classes). I love working in a lab, but I will always hold a soft spot for law, the righting of wrongs, and fixing injustice. That is why majoring in Legal Studies also seemed to fit so well. I took so many classes I enjoyed, learned so much I would have had difficulty learning alone, and the major provided me opportunities to volunteer places I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise such as law offices.
I’m still learning about all the different career opportunities so I can’t say for sure I have decided yet, but by following some of what I outlined above I have identified my interests and passions, and plan to find a job that aligns with these.
Good luck and I hope this helps! Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or think of something that might help if I added it!
