Becoming a Biologist
If you have been considering becoming a biologist, there are many things to think about. The first order of business is to decide if biology is something you truly want to make a life-long career out of. There is usually a limited number of openings for biological scientists so you should only think about becoming a biologist if you are truly passionate about it. If you are dead set on becoming a biologist you must do well with your studies, starting in high school. Take every science course offered including the most advanced.
With a few exceptions, a Master’s or Doctorate degree are all but mandatory today in order to get a decent job as a biologist. Choose a college that offers a rock solid biology degree program. You will not specialize in a particular area until graduate school so spend your undergraduate time taking a wide range of science courses as well as advanced classes in match and reading/writing. Biologists have to be able to easily read and comprehend what others have found and must also be able to clearly convey facts to the scientific community.
If you know in undergraduate school what area you wish to specialize in, then major in that area be it zoology, botany or microbiology. You should also try to do some volunteer work in a research lab that works with the type of biology you are majoring in. Study hard and get the best grades you can as becoming a biologist requires that you give 110% to all you do.
Be sure that you are taking essential background courses in chemistry, math, physics, stats and computer training. Make friends with your professors and ask if you can help in their labs. If you are ambitious you could end up receiving some letters of recommendations from your instructors which could help you get into the graduate school of your choice.
Apply to grad schools that offer programs which match your area of interest. Take the time to research leading professors at the grad schools you are interested in. Read their most recent publications and send out a few letters telling them what you enjoy about their work. In your letters, be sure to ask questions about their school’s graduate program to clearly demonstrate that you wish to be accepted. Be sure to apply to several grad schools. Even if you are accepted into a grad school that was not at the top of your list, you could earn your Master’s there and then move on to a more prestigious school to earn your PhD.
If you fail to become accepted into a grad school on your first time out, do not give up. Take a year or two off and do some intense volunteer work. Enroll in some post-baccalaureate classes and excel in them. Get to know as many professors and grad students as you can. Becoming a biologist entails a lot of dedication and hard work. However, if you are serious and do well in school and volunteer often you may very well succeed at becoming a biologist in the area of specialty that you are passionate about.