Waiting until your senior year to take BIO
346:
The course entitled Human Biology is a gateway
course to the Human Biology major, and should be taken after successfully completing
Genetics (BIO 325). Students who take this course during their sophomore year
report a higher level of satisfaction with their choice of major and concentration.
Not taking a writing component course during
your freshman or sophomore year:
Many students mistakenly think they will be
able to take both their writing components from upper division Biology lab courses
during their senior year. The reality is that these courses are extremely hard
to get into and so seniors may find themselves scrambling to find a writing
component class their final semester. Taking a lower-division writing component
course, such as RHE 309K, during your freshman or sophomore year will not only
help you graduate smoothly, it will improve your writing skills!
Deciding on your concentration too late:
Students who save all their concentration courses
until their senior year often find themselves in a bind because courses are
not offered or they meet at the same time as other required courses. Again,
taking BIO 346 earlier rather than later is one way to prevent this problem,
as are regular meetings with your academic advisor.
Not adequately researching your course options:
One of the unique features of the Human Biology
major is that it offers students choices as far as which courses they want to
take to fulfill each requirement. Most students who come in to see their academic
advisor have no idea which courses they are most interested in taking. Successful
students have taken the time to research what courses UT has to offer and then
find a degree plan that allows them to study what interests them. The
Biological Sciences Advising Center
has several online resources available to assist students in researching Biology
courses.
Sticking with a major that you are not enjoying/doing
poorly in:
Many students are afraid to change majors once
they have taken a couple courses from their major, in fear that they will fall
behind, despite the fact that they are not enjoying their major courses and
are doing poorly in them. In reality, students often find that they can graduate
just as quickly in another major if they just take the time to meet with an
advisor and plan it out. Those that do continue in a major that they are not
enjoying tend to take longer to graduate in the long run due to dropped or failed
courses--causing their GPA to suffer and ultimately giving them a degree in
a subject that they now have no desire for a career in!
Testimonials from Recent Human Biology Graduates
Choosing the right
major for the right reasons:
"I
picked human biology because it seemed the biology major most similar to a liberal
arts major. I do, however, wish that it was even more geared toward the liberal
arts side of things. I say this because many biology students are planning to
go to graduate school or medical school, and they will have plenty of time there
to learn the inner workings of E coli’s aspartate receptor. Classes on the ramifications
of science in the modern world, where science is going and what its priorities
should be would benefit both UT students and science."
"I enrolled in Human Biology because I was not sure what I wanted to do. It
gave me broad choices in all fields like anatomy, physiology, and evolution.
However, I didn’t get to specialize in the field I’m ultimately interested in
and plan to pursue as a career – microbiology."
When to take BIO 346:
"I
did not realize that this was meant to be a sophomore level course. I am actually
taking it (during my final) semester, and I think it actually has been a good
wrap-up of a lot of my other classes, such as Human Evolution, Primate Behavior
and Intro to Biochemical Engineering."
AP Credit:
"If
I could do things over, I wouldn’t have claimed AP credit for BIO 311C and BIO
311D. I should have taken them so that I could develop some study skills before
delving into upper-division biology classes such as genetics (BIO 325) in my
freshman year."
Undergraduate research:
"My
only regret is that I didn’t get more involved in undergraduate research earlier.
I didn’t realize how much of the information learned from my courses would actually
be used in the lab setting. I was surprised to discover that I used so much
information learned from UT courses on a daily basis. Working in the lab has
focused my career path into wanting to become a research scientist."
General Testimonials:
"I
feel that all my concentration classes have all been a great value to me in
my undergraduate education. They span a wide variety of research areas providing
a well balanced, well rounded education. I feel that the option to take a variety
of upper-division Biology courses in different areas is the best way to find
out what subjects you are most interested in. With this knowledge I am now able
to decide on what subject I will choose to pursue a career in."
"Overall
I felt that I chose an awesome concentration. I would not regret doing my concentration
over again. I think that I have benefited a lot by having chosen human biology
as my degree plan. I have been able to combine the well roundedness of a BA
in Biology with a focus in microbiology. Since I will be entering a graduate
program next year, and hope to do medical school after that, I believe that
I have truly benefited from the best of both degree in this one."
"My choice
of concentration
sparked my interest in social problems and many issues in our society and how
humans interact with our world around us that I have decided to apply to Public
Health School, and I think that there is probably no better major than the one
I have chosen to prepare me for this."
"I
found my concentration to be an excellent supplement to the core classes. I
was able to enrich my education by becoming familiar with concepts outside of
biology and chemistry courses. These courses are helpful to anyone entering
the medical field, public health or any of the other avenues available to any
biology major. You gain an understanding of what goes on in our society, how
people live and the obstacles they must face."
"I
was a microbiology major when I first came to UT, but then Human Biology was
a new degree being offered that included a more sociological basis that interested
me. This allowed me to still take micro classes as well as exposing myself to
classes that focused a little more on human nature. I feel that with the advising
that I received and my own initiative to explore different avenues, human biology
ended up being a major that was tailor fit for me!"
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