Monday Major Madness: Biology

Each Monday, we highlight a certain major here at UA. Regardless of the particular major's sanity or lack thereof, we like to call it Monday Major Madness...

It may be Monday, but the beautiful weather makes everything okay.

In today's installment of Monday Major Madness, Honors College student Mike Zhang talks about his experience as a Biology major.

Why did you choose your major?
From the functions of individual cells to how they work together as systems of organs and tissue, the study of life, or biology, is fascinating. I had a fantastic biology teacher at the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science that really engaged his students and got me fired up about biology, and I loved my lab courses in high school. Going into my first semester of college, knew I wanted to be a biology major. Moreover, being an undergraduate science major gives you a good foundation of scientific knowledge that is essential for further education and a profession in the sciences.

What are your career plans?
I currently plan on pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. Healthcare has made many advances, but many diseases and conditions lack safe treatments and cures. Combining a strong base of clinical knowledge garnered from a medical degree with the rigorous scientific training of a Ph.D. will allow me to perform clinical and basic research that reveals new insights into therapeutics, as well as the mechanisms behind them. I would like to do research as well as treat a cohort of patients that would be the inspiration for my work.

What has been your favorite class (required for your major) so far?
My favorite classes for my major so far have been BSC 118: Honors Biology and BSC 494: Signal Transduction: Neurobiology. BSC 118 was wonderful; being an honors course, it was only around 25 students and we had amazing class discussions regarding general biology. BSC 494 isn’t required, but is an upper-level option. In this class which I am currently taking, we are reading research articles and presenting them to the rest of the class. Right now, we’re going through the five senses, one per week, and then we’ll get into neural injury and regeneration, memory and learning, and other fascinating neuroscience topics.

How many hours per week do you spend working on major-related activities?
I try to spend 30 minutes studying and looking over notes for every hour of class. A lot of biology courses focus on studying the lecture and understanding it, versus busy work. I spend roughly 20 hours a week performing research, but for those interested in research, take comfort in knowing that different labs have different commitments for time and passion, and you can find the right one for you.

Anything else you would like to share?
For those interested in biology, there are a few programs that might be of interest to you. Dr. Kim Lackey has a biology outreach program to local elementary schools during the school year, while Dr. John Clark has a study abroad experience where you can view the biological diversity of Ecuador through exploring the Amazon region. Their information can be found here. As for general advice, live balanced lives. If you loved doing service in high school, there are outlets for that and more at the university. There are varied opportunities for tens of thousands of students on campus. If you live life doing what you’re passionate about, that’s really what’s important.