Premed questions? Ask here.

jwj
Mon, 21 May 2007 00:24:18 +0000

It’s not easy, per se. Just e-mail a bunch of profs and hope for the best in your responses. It doesn’t matter what you say you want to major in if you’re a freshman, because statistically speaking, there’s a pretty good chance you’re gonna change. Not to say you will, but saying you plan to declare in bio isn’t going to help you. Just ask to meet with the prof sometime, and if they’re willing to meet with you, be really energetic and show them you’re motivated.

It’s hard to say when’s “early”. I would say to hold off from doing it fall quarter, I don’t think adding the new factor of a research job will do you much good as you’re trying to get used to college.

Opportunities: sometimes through classes when the profs will announce that they have research positions available, sometimes through seminars in the same way, sometimes through an advisor who has a spot open, sometimes through the URP, sometimes through random e-mailing of profs. It’s more a matter of luck in a lot of cases. :-)

Just to be sure, the bio core is for sophomores, so if you’re even thinking about trying to take it as a freshman, please don’t, it will not be a pleasant experience…the competition is not something you want to deal with freshman year. >.< Anywho, it requires chem because it makes some explanations in bio 41 easier, and calculus because bio 43 involves math when dealing with population genetics. You can take bio core without taking chem or calculus, really, it’s supplementary at best, but it certainly helps to have whatever advantage you can when competing with 300 other students.

And ask away, yo, you’re providing the perfect study break from my fyzyx problem set. :-P