What Office Hours are like
Welcome fellow Jumbo! You are probably wondering what it feels like to go for office hours in Tufts. After all, office hours didn’t really exist…
One of the many things current Tufts students will tell you is how much time you have to decide your major. It’s perfectly fine to come in not having a clue what you want to study, because you have two years to explore and fill your distribution requirements. I was one of the few people I knew who came in knowing exactly what I wanted to study.
Throughout middle and high school, I was always drawn to the sciences. I originally had grand plans to be a marine biologist, but as that plan adjusted with more chemistry, physics, and calculus, I realized life sciences were definitely what I wanted to study. I came into Tufts knowing I wanted to be a biology major, so I started right away in my freshman year with introductory biology and chemistry classes.
One of the biggest hurdles being a biology major, something I never expected, was being a non-pre-health major among a major that is dominated by pre-health students. Next fall, since I’m a graduating senior, I’ll be attending graduate school to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. While there are a handful of biology students who head toward the research world after their time at Tufts, the majority of my friends in both the biology and biopsychology departments are headed to medical, dental, or veterinary school.
I wouldn’t accuse the biology department of favoring pre-health students by any means, but the nature of the number of pre-health students means those who aren’t are automatically on a different path. The department has definitely worked to provide more relevant classes for those hoping to move into a medical field, but it’s hard for those who want to focus in microbiology or evolutionary biology to get a full course load with just those types of classes. I’ve enjoyed being able to take a wide variety of courses across different areas of biology, but I can understand those who are frustrated by the inability to truly focus within the department.
Everyone’s experience within their major and choosing their major is different. My experience within my department could be entirely different from another student’s, and those who are pre-health within the biology department may have a totally different view on the balance of the major. Overall, I’ve loved my experience in the department, and I can only hope others across the university would say the same.
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