While Dominican College of Blauvelt is best known for the nursing program, one of the most popular majors includes Biology. This career path is not only favorited among students at D.C, but according to the National Center for Education Statistics, biology is among one of the top five most popular majors in the United States. My interview focused on Biology student Jessica Lema, in which she sheds a light on the day in the life of an average undergraduate.
While Dominican College offers three academic tracks in biology, my first question to the interviewee was, “what is your major/what academic track are you pursuing?” She then informed me that she is enrolled in the Pre-Med concentration.
With a degree in Biology, students enter a diverse career path with a multitude of opportunities. I asked her when she decided this career path was the one for her, in which she responded, “I realized this was the major I wanted to take when I was in high school”.
I then proceeded to ask my interviewee, “Why Dominican?” Her response: “I chose to go to Dominican College for this major because I heard the biology program is intense and prepares you for graduate school.” I also asked her how she found out about the biology program at Dominican, in which she stated she found it out through her high school.
Interested in an overview of what is in store for a biology student, I asked my fifth question: “What types of classes do you take as a Biology student at D.C?” “I took general ed. courses for [my three] three semesters”, she began, “and then I took specific biology classes like Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics and Biochemistry.”
With this information in mind, I was curious about what she planned to do after graduation. “After graduation, I see myself either taking a gap year break or [going to] graduate school”.
Between intense courses and preparation for further education, I wanted to know what inspired her to pursue this major. A “pre med” career path prepares a student to become a doctor, so I furthered my question by asking what she planned to do with this major. “I chose this major because it seemed the most rewarding…I pursued in this major because it would lead me to help out people in hospitals or at a doctor’s office. I want to become a pediatrician with [this major], and I want to work with children medically.”
My second to last question regarded “what it is like being a biology student”, a question which could be informative to future doctors and undecisive future college students. She replied, “As a biology student, it’s intense. A lot of intense classes need to be taken and it comes with heavy workload as well. The majority of professors I have taken were very helpful and took their teaching very seriously. The workload [also depends] on certain classes.” She ended her statement by thanking her advisor, who “…is very helpful and was able to help me create my schedule and discuss which classes I needed to take”.
Being a college student isn’t easy, and with immense goals (such as becoming a doctor) comes an immense workload. Dominican College, however, provides students with the support they need to acheive these goals. A major in Biology, or a concentration in pre-med, isn’t for everybody. But for those who are interested, Dominican College is the best choice.