Advice to New Biology Students from Biology Seniors

(Senior Seminar Spring 2000)

Introduction

Ok, so you’re a biology student. You come to UAH hoping to just take some classes and get out of here with a degree and some job prospects. You’re not sure what those classes are, exactly. Some people tell you that you have to take certain classes, while others tell you that you don’t. It’s hard to find someone who knows what they’re talking about, or who has your interests in mind. Sometimes you experience an administrative run-around that makes you so frustrated that you swear you’ll go somewhere else to get your education if that’s how they treat paying customers around here. Eventually you read the course catalog, and you wonder if "suggest" and "strongly suggest" really mean, "have to take". You find out that you need a POS, whatever that is, and you’re not entirely sure of how to get it. Sometimes you find out for sure that your teacher is lousy long after any possibility of getting any money back if you drop the class. You think, "If only I had known. Then my GPA wouldn’t be so much lower." At the end of the semester, you fill out a questionnaire and write comments. You’re sure that if the powers that be really knew how bad the teacher was, they wouldn’t allow any other students to go through the same miserable experience. Later, you realize that the surveys don’t do anything, and you wonder what rock they stuck all of those forms under, because you certainly didn’t see any of the results. As the semesters roll by, you notice that biology is treated like the poor, unemployable cousin of engineering. You start to worry whether all of the blood, sweat, and tears you have expended will be for nothing, or that you may eventually have a job, but it will not remotely resemble what you envisioned yourself doing. "What kinds of jobs are there for Biology majors, anyway?", you wonder. Not many companies that offer such jobs seem to show up for Career Day, that’s for sure. You hear about Computer Science majors that get great jobs before they even graduate, and you wonder, "How is a biology student supposed to get the money to pay for an education and the experience to qualify for a job?".

We’re seniors. We’ve been through that. We’ve created a guideline in the following pages to help current and future biology students. We’ll tell you how to find someone to advise you, what classes you really need to take, and what to consider when scheduling them, so that you can be an informed consumer. We’ll tell you what a POS is and how to file it so that it doesn’t float between administrative offices for months. We’ll tell you where the information collected in those student surveys is located, so that you can find out what students have thought of teachers, classes, and facilities. We’ll show you what kinds of jobs and other practice in the field that are available to Biology majors, and where you can get financial aid by including links to websites. We hope that you will benefit from our collective experience.

Advisors

One of the most important choices you will make in your undergraduate career will be your choice of advisor. Of course, you may not think you need an advisor. After all, everything you need to know is in the course catalog, and you’ll be just fine if you go along with that, right? Wrong, you need to get an advisor as soon as possible.

I thought I didn’t need an advisor to tell me what to take. When I registered for classes, I just got signatures from whoever happened to be around. Someone I know was almost registered for a graduate-level class without even fulfilling the basic prerequisite, until he asked at the last minute if it really was okay. The people at Advising and Registration do their best, but they have to give out many, many signatures every day, and they certainly aren’t immersed in Biology enough to know what classes would most fulfill your chosen specialty. I waited until I had to file a POS to get an advisor. Then, I found out I had taken several classes that I didn’t have to take, some of which I had really disliked at the time I took them. An advisor can help you avoid mistakes that cost you time, money, and grades. -Mystery Student

The first thing you have to do is examine your interests and find a professor that has the interests closest to yours. Professors also teach within their interests if they have a choice. Here’s a list of several biology professors and their interests:

P. S. Campbell ……………reproductive physiology, sex steroid hormone action, endocrine disrupters

M. H. Eley ……………………………………………..chemical and biological conversions of biomass

W. R. Garstka …………….reproduction and chemical communication in vertebrates, paleontology

A. D. Johnson ………………………………………………………………………..nutritional physiology

D.L. Boyd ……………………………………………………………….developmental biology, genetics

J. G. Leahy ……environmental microbiology, molecular physiology, biodegradative microorganisms

J. O. Ng ……………………structural biology, evolution of RNA, microgravity protein crystallization

R. Magnuson......................................................microbial molecular genetics, control of genetic elements

Second, you need to make sure that the professor is qualified to advise you because some people that teach at UAH cannot officially advise students. However, they can provide extremely useful unofficial advice. Third, if you have never met this professor, you need to ask several other students about him/her and check out their scores from student evaluations. (Please see the section on student evaluations). Don’t give up on a professor if his/her ratings aren’t very high. Professors outside of class may be very different from how they are in class. This brings us to the next thing to do, which is to talk to your prospective advisor in order to make sure that he/she is what you have in mind. You may have to set up an appointment in order to do so. Professors are not brushing you off if they ask you to make an appointment. Several professors have administrative duties that eat into their schedules. Finally, if everything works out, the professor you choose can become your official advisor. By the way, you can request your advisor when you apply for your POS. (Please see the Program of Study section.)

You might have received a letter in the mail informing you that an advisor has been assigned to you, and that he/she will contact you. Well, I received such a letter, but they neglected to tell me who that advisor was, and no one ever contacted me.

– Mystery Student

If you actually are contacted, you should meet with the assigned advisor. However, you should not hesitate to get another advisor if the one assigned makes you feel pushed or doesn’t have a thing in common with you.

Once you get an advisor, you should tell him/her about yourself and pester him/her with questions. Here’s a list of possible questions:

What kinds of careers and/or fields of study are open to me?

What kinds of jobs can I get now, and what kinds of jobs will I be able to get in the future?

Do you know anyone who needs a volunteer in a field interesting to me?

Do you know about any scholarships, fellowships, or other forms of financial aid I might qualify for?

What biology classes offered at UAH will best prepare me for my intended field of study?

What minor would best complement my intended field of study?

What other non-biology science classes should I take?

Would taking the harder version of a class instead of the easier one really benefit me?

What graduate school do you recommend, and will my intended course of study fulfill their requirements?

When should I file my POS, and how do I do it?

When should I take the GRE, and how do I register for it?

Do you know of any research projects I can help with?

Do you have any ideas about research projects I can do as an undergraduate or graduate student?

How can I get into graduate school if my GPA is below the GPA required to enter a graduate program, usually 3.0?

How can I fix a low grade or GPA?

How can I present myself favorably to potential employers if my grades or experience is not very impressive?

Which year’s course catalogue would be best for me to use in making my POS?

What cognate studies are available?

How will I get all of classes I want or need in time to graduate if I can’t get into a class or if I have to repeat a class?

When and how should I file for graduation?

How do I make official changes to my Program of Study?

Of course, before you ask most of these questions, you need to make sure your advisor knows what your interests and expectations are. It is important to have a good relationship with your advisor. He/she will be instrumental in making your program of study. Good communication helps you get what you want.

Program of Study

After you find an advisor, you need to file a Program of Study (POS). On a POS, you and your advisor list all of your General Education Requirements (GER), biology core courses, courses in your minor, electives etc. that you plan on taking. You can change any courses that you like after a POS is signed, except for those absolutely required to get a biology degree or to fulfill your GER. No one else can change those requirements. Ask your advisor where to go and what forms to fill out in order to change your POS. you cannot change your POS simply by taking different classes. If you have taken all of the courses stipulated by your POS, you must be allowed to graduate even if the powers that be do not like it. That is because the POS is a contract, and any mistakes and ambiguities in a contract are considered in favor of the person (student) who signs it, not in favor of the person who writes it. When you and your advisor are writing your POS, you should take note of the classes that are not offered very often and their prerequisites so you can give those classes priority when you register. Many students have to wait extra semesters before they graduate because of classes offered infrequently.

To begin the process of filing a Program of Study, go to the Academic Advisement Center or the Biology Department Office and ask for a POS application form. Fill out the parts of the form that are indicated. This is the time that you can write the name of the advisor that you want, even if they are already your advisor. Then you should schedule an appointment with your advisor in order to create your POS. Be sure to see the section Options in Getting a Biology Degree, so that you are well informed when you go into the discussion. After you both come to an agreement, you can either allow the POS to move in its own merry bureaucratic way, or you can hand carry it to those people who need to sign it, and then return it to the Biology Department office. A POS can take one to three months to circulate if it moves through normal channels.

Options in Getting a Biology Degree

You need 36 hours of biology courses for a biology major. The only biology courses absolutely required are:

BYS119 (general biology with a biochemical and cellular emphasis)

BYS120 (general biology with a more evolutionary and ecological emphasis)

BYS219 (genetics)

BYS340 (cellular biology with an emphasis on the anatomy, transport mechanisms, and

metabolism of cells with a brief foray into embryology)

BYS490 (senior seminar with content and projects depending entirely on the professor; graded only on a pass/fail basis)

These courses are offered every fall and spring semester and sometimes during summer semester. The remaining biology courses depend entirely on what you and your advisor decide.

There are other science requirements for a biology degree. The only chemistry courses absolutely required are CH101,105 or CH121,125(inorganic chemistry) and a choice of CH113(elementary organic chemistry) or CH301(elementary biochemistry). Do note, however, that some upper level courses(e.g, BYS430 Immunology, BYS431 Intro to Medical Microbiology, or BYS 543 Molecular Biology of the Cell) may require or recommend regular biochemistry (CH 361) as a prerequisite.  The laboratory sciences outside of biology must total at least 15 semester hours with at least 8 hours in one and 4 hours in another, with the rest of the hours optional. Laboratory sciences offered at UAH include Astronomy, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Physics. One level three mathematics course is required as well as its prerequisites. Level three mathematics courses include MA 145 or 171. Remember that credit for prerequisites for some courses can be gained through taking departmental examinations, advanced placement examinations, or CLEP examinations. Also, remember that suggestions and recommendations are purely that. They are not commands from a higher power. Note that you can choose the edition of the catalog that you prefer (either the year of your enrollment or a later edition) in creating your program of study.

You can choose any minor that you wish. Even though you may end up taking several chemistry courses in your pursuit of a biology degree, chemistry does not have to be your minor. However, choosing a minor in which you have to take classes that you would not already be taking to fulfill your major requirements could result in a longer period of time as an undergraduate. Minors usually require 21, 24, or 27 semester hours to complete depending upon the specific department. These hours translate into about 6-9 classes. Many advisors will suggest chemistry as a minor because you already have to take two chemistry classes. However, you are free to refuse their advice. It may even be prudent to do so if you are not very good at chemistry. Special topics courses can be used to get the experience of courses you are interested in even when they are not formally offered. They can be labeled with the course title of your area of interest (see section on Special Topics classes). Some courses you may want are offered infrequently. Therefore, it is important to choose an advisor wisely (that is, choose one that fulfills your own interests) and do it as early as possible (see the section on advisors).

Course Frequency Table

These biology courses are offered once every two years (or less):

As you can see, classes offered every semester are in the minority, so plan out your semesters carefully. Marine science classes are offered only in the summer at Dauphin Island. Not all classes are offered every summer. Consult class schedule for availability.

Student Instructor Evaluations

After you choose your classes, you often have a choice of at what time and with which instructors to take them. The amount of choice usually decreases as the course number increases. An important part in taking a class is getting a good instructor. Someone who not only is a good teacher, but someone who has a good personality, is easy to get along with, and is going to take the time to help you. Most of the time this information is not easily available for a student because it is not likely that a student knows every teacher, or someone who does. Even if you have no choice of instructors, knowing what kind of teacher you are going to have for a class can help you be better prepared for what is about to come your way. At the end of each semester, students give instructor evaluations. This evaluation gives the student an opportunity to answer questions pertaining to the instructor and the class. There is also an opportunity for the student to write any opinions on how they felt about their experience in the class or about the instructor. These evaluations can be found on reserve in the library at the circulation desk filled under "UAH". It is compiled into a small book and is published by The Office of Institutional Research. The evaluations currently available only extend to spring 1997. Hopefully, new updated evaluations will be available for students. For additional information, ask the secretary in your department of study, a librarian, or contact Dr. Fran Johnson at 890-6767.

Special Topics Classes

A Special Topics class is a wonderful opportunity for a student to develop and pursue their own interests while receiving credit. This class can fulfill any interest that a student may have toward a particular subject area as long as a professor supervises the student's progress. Say, for example, that a student wants to know more about behavioral ecology but the class is not formally offered. A student can find a professor that may be willing to oversee a project for that Special Topics class in behavioral ecology. Upon consultation with that professor, a student may choose to complete any project they want in order to learn more about behavioral ecology. For example, a student may choose to read several books and then discuss them with the professor, or a student could write a research paper on behavioral ecology. The subject matter and requirements of a Special Topics class is dependent upon the needs of the student. The student must then find a professor that is willing to support his/her interests. However, the consulting professor does not necessarily have to be knowledgeable in the area of the student's interests. Many professors are willing to explore and expand their knowledge about new and interesting topics. In addition, on a student's transcript the name "Special Topics" can appear or the class name can be modified through the Records Office to include the area of concentration. So for the hypothetical student who wanted to know more about behavioral ecology, their transcript could read "Special Topics: Behavioral Ecology" (provided they go to the Records Office and request the modification). The Special Topics option allows a student the opportunity to tailor their program of study to meet their own interests and needs. This class gives a student the freedom to choose and pursue interests that may not be formally offered by the university.

Complaining

We don’t really have anything established to put here yet, but we are considering several options for getting, compiling, and submitting complaints. Students’ complaints may be acquired through forms passed out during midterms, complaint pizza parties where complaints can be heard by a student representative, or an on-line form. The protection of confidentiality, ease of submission, and the versatility to be able to deliver all possible relevant complaints are the main concerns for the acquisition of complaints. Students’ complaints could be compiled and edited by student representatives associated with the Student Government Association, or members of a student advocacy committee that would be chosen by submitting letters to students who could reply if interested. The main concerns for the choosing of representatives would be that they share the concerns of students, be committed to helping students, and have experience in interacting with people in administrative hierarchies. Complaints could be submitted to the administration by a student representative sitting in on faculty and administrative meetings or visiting faculty members and administrators privately. They could also submit complaints in writing by mail/ email, or post comments on a web site accessible to students, faculty, and administrators. The most important issues concerning the submission of complaints are ensuring they get to the correct people, ensuring that they are taken seriously, and providing a buffer between students and faculty/administration to ensure anonymity and prevent offense or libel. The new complaint system should have several advantages over the currently used instructor evaluation forms. Complaints would be submitted before the semester was over and it was too late for the situation of current students to be improved. Complaints would have the force of a student representative or organization behind them so that they would not be as easy to ignore. Complaining would also be made more convenient to students, and there would be less of the sense of futility that accompanies the instructor evaluation forms.

Caveats

The advice offered and opinions presented above are those of the Spring 2000 Senior Seminar, and not necessarily those of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, or the Department of Biological Sciences.

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