# Anyone in Zoology, Marine Biology, or Veterinary Medicine?



## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

So I'm still wavering between majors- I began as an art school student, progressed to Visual Effects, transferred for Information Technology- and I'm beginning to question my major route again. I'm an obvious hands on type of person. And while I love technology and computers- and would gladly do it as a safety plan- even before I went to art school I was curious about zoology.

But I really got into fishkeeping this past summer and I realized today after installing two sponge filters via a gang valve into my 20g so it can start cycling, and having my ammonia test kit and Seachem Prime nearby, that I _really_ love taking care of animals. I have a few betta that I rescued from our local fish store that, when I got them, were gray and doubled over with fin rot and swim bladder problems and practically starved, but after a few weeks of AQ salt, water changes, and feeding garlic soaked pellets with a tweezer, they're fully colored and eating whole pellets, growing fins back again. I have a bulletin board for water changes information on my wall and I keep a log of everything I do for my aquariums (I'm a fish nerd, go figure?). Basically, being involved with fishkeeping has only rekindled my curiosity about the possibility of going into something like zoology, or marine biology, or on a really off chance, veterinary medicine.

The only reason I am really wary of it is because of the mathematical aspect- I'm pretty much terrible at math. I scored a 420 on my SAT and I'm about as bad at it as possible. Even though I'm pretty good at applicable math- or any concept that can be made applicable, if that makes sense. I did do well in my science classes, environmental science, biology, physical science, chemistry, AP anatomy- but after algebra 2 I took advanced functions (which is ironically, the easier class to take in my high school).

(I think if I went into something like this I'd love to work in a zoo but at the same time I'd _dig_ doing some microorganism stuff. _That would just be really freaking awesome_.)

At any rate, I'm still looking into it, mildly reading around and I wanted to get a real person's opinion of it. I'd love to hear from anyone going into any of these fields or related fields- what college is/was like, what you're planning on doing, what the career is like- feel free to tell me anything and everything. Your experiences, the ups and downs, the benefits, the risks, the bad stuff. Be real with me. I wanna hear it.

I'd appreciate any input.  Thank you.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

I know nothing of your age or location but vet medicine would be the most challenging to pursue. The board wants to admit those that have shown a long term love for the careers that the DVM opens doors to which means volunteer work and basically animal oriented extra curriculers. (nope, I can't spell that, haha) In Canada a person in your situation would have a slim chance if you're in your 20's which is what I'm guessing. Teenagers have a lot more time to build up that resume. Applicable math is all you need! Sure calculus is often involved with science programs but it's only a year. Oh, and stats. Every other bit of math is physics and chemistry based so you'd be fine there. 

I was on the vet route for most of my life - I volunteered at humane societies, rehabilitated wildlife, worked in a vet clinic for seven years. Oh, and my father is a vet who also happens to be on the board of trustees at the OVC so he knows the ins and outs...just so you're not wondering where I'm getting all this from.  I dropped the vet medicine idea because I didn't feel my anxiety could handle another 4 years of med school (school is my main trigger).

I am a biology major, one who wanted to change the major to zoology but the program counsellor advised me to keep it general to have more doors open for grad school. My program allows me to take any zoology course I want while also taking pathology and cell biology etc etc. Marine biology is also pretty strict in terms of how many electives you have. I'd really only recommend it if you're certain you want this. That said, I think both majors offer incredible courses and career opportunities so you can't really go wrong. Do you have a program counsellor to talk to? Each university varies. Mine offers all three (and vet medicine) and mine felt sticking to bio was best as it didn't close doors - I can still work in a zoo, can still care for animals. All without going through the major stress of med school.  

This is all pretty general info...and this isn't to discourage you from vet medicine either. I'm told it's way easier to get into vet schools in the States or overseas, the huge snag is the cost. To major in zoology or marine biology would be a good way to explore your options without getting tied in. You can also get your degree and apply for vet school after - most people I know prefer to have their degree first.


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## Karuni (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm a freshman Biology major emphasizing on Zoology at my university.
While I'm still very young and not far along enough into my courses to provide any advice, I chose my major because I love animals and want to take care of them too. I differ, however, in that I'd rather take care of canines or other mammals. I had a fish tank when I was little (parents did most of the cleaning/feeding), and I had some bad experiences. I don't want to keep fish ever again. 

I have some shadowing experiences with zookeepers at my city's zoo and safari park as well as volunteering hours at the humane society. I know it definitely helps a lot to get volunteer hours and stuff like that to get a job later on. Internships are almost a requirement to become a zookeeper around here. 

At my university (keep in mind every school is different, especially in different areas or countries), an undergrad only needs 3 credit hours of math. Most of the people I know are in College Algebra. I took Calculus in high school and got dual enrollment credit so I don't have a single math class to worry about for four years!


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

seafolly said:


> I know nothing of your age or location but vet medicine would be the most challenging to pursue. The board wants to admit those that have shown a long term love for the careers that the DVM opens doors to which means volunteer work and basically animal oriented extra curriculers. (nope, I can't spell that, haha) In Canada a person in your situation would have a slim chance if you're in your 20's which is what I'm guessing. Teenagers have a lot more time to build up that resume. Applicable math is all you need! Sure calculus is often involved with science programs but it's only a year. Oh, and stats. Every other bit of math is physics and chemistry based so you'd be fine there.
> 
> I was on the vet route for most of my life - I volunteered at humane societies, rehabilitated wildlife, worked in a vet clinic for seven years. Oh, and my father is a vet who also happens to be on the board of trustees at the OVC so he knows the ins and outs...just so you're not wondering where I'm getting all this from.  I dropped the vet medicine idea because I didn't feel my anxiety could handle another 4 years of med school (school is my main trigger).
> 
> ...


I'm 19, so I'm kinda.. stuck between teenage years and 20's. xD But I was thinking about going the route you're going- biology and then specializing later for grad school- after I read a bit last night. Your path sounds awesome, especially with taking the courses you want to take- and having the openness to do so.

Thanks for the info, I need a first hand view from someone in this area.  I'm definitely thinking zoology first- marine biology second- veterinary just if neither of the above were a good idea, but after reading your post I'm more certain that biology/zoology is the route for me to go.



Karuni said:


> I'm a freshman Biology major emphasizing on Zoology at my university.
> While I'm still very young and not far along enough into my courses to provide any advice, I chose my major because I love animals and want to take care of them too. I differ, however, in that I'd rather take care of canines or other mammals. I had a fish tank when I was little (parents did most of the cleaning/feeding), and I had some bad experiences. I don't want to keep fish ever again.
> 
> I have some shadowing experiences with zookeepers at my city's zoo and safari park as well as volunteering hours at the humane society. I know it definitely helps a lot to get volunteer hours and stuff like that to get a job later on. Internships are almost a requirement to become a zookeeper around here.
> ...


Woah, can I go to your school? xD
I love me some canines/mammals too. Sorry to hear about your fish experiences  
What were your experiences like volunteering at the zoo? Did you get to watch any zoologists at work? Or work with any animals?
There's one zoo in my state, so I'd probably have to go to a school near there to get some intern/volunteer hours, but it sounds like it'd be awesome to get to do that.

I'm looking through my state's biology programs right now. 
I found one that requires just two classes of calculus and two classes of physics! physics i'm much better at, haha.


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## Samtrix (Aug 22, 2011)

I don't have anything constructive to say, I just wanted to comment because I'm interested in zoology too (and glad that I've other biology people on here ). I enrolled in a school intending to study zoology, then somehow ended up doing agricultural science and concentrating on plants. I wouldn't be too worried about the math, you should only need calculus, stats and algebra. I failed everyone of those maths classes once, so you're not the worst at math. I agree that vet medicine would be the most difficult of the programs you've mentioned, but that may be different in the US.
And good job with the bettas! My aquariums haven't turned out so well, but that's because I didn't keep up with them as attentively as you.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

regimes said:


> I'm 19, so I'm kinda.. stuck between teenage years and 20's. xD But I was thinking about going the route you're going- biology and then specializing later for grad school- after I read a bit last night. Your path sounds awesome, especially with taking the courses you want to take- and having the openness to do so.
> 
> Thanks for the info, I need a first hand view from someone in this area.  I'm definitely thinking zoology first- marine biology second- veterinary just if neither of the above were a good idea, but after reading your post I'm more certain that biology/zoology is the route for me to go.
> 
> ...


Oh so you're Canadian?  If so, you're kind of stuck in regards to which school you can attend - there are only 5 vet colleges in Canada and they're restricted to the students that live in the province/next door provinces. Well, okay, there are a handful of seats for out of province students but given the competition I'm not sure it's worth it to apply elsewhere unless it's in the States or Australia or something. 
19 isn't that old! Honestly I think if you wanted to keep the vet school door open you could. Just jump on as many volunteer opportunities as you can that involve a vast array of species. Like working at a small animal vet clinic is fine but add on a zoo, or travel with students abroad to work with elephants. This approach worked for my old housemate. She didn't get into OVC but she did get into an Australian vet college.

Oops, I just read "my state" haha. Not Canadian. ^^ Well gosh come to Canada! My biology degree only required one calculus course (and one stats in 2nd year). That said I also need to take 2 physics courses but...meh!


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

Samtrix said:


> I don't have anything constructive to say, I just wanted to comment because I'm interested in zoology too (and glad that I've other biology people on here ). I enrolled in a school intending to study zoology, then somehow ended up doing agricultural science and concentrating on plants. I wouldn't be too worried about the math, you should only need calculus, stats and algebra. I failed everyone of those maths classes once, so you're not the worst at math. I agree that vet medicine would be the most difficult of the programs you've mentioned, but that may be different in the US.
> And good job with the bettas! My aquariums haven't turned out so well, but that's because I didn't keep up with them as attentively as you.


You make me feel better about being terrible at math. xD I'm glad to hear I'm not the only science interested person that's bad at it! 
I think one of my friends is doing agricultural science! From what I hear it's a really good route to go, at least she enjoys it. 
Thank you =D Sorry to hear your aquariums didn't turn out so well. You never think they're _that_ difficult to manage- water, bowl, fish, right?- and then you get into it and it's like OHCRAP, I'M IN CHEMISTRY CLASS ALL OVER AGAIN. ahaha.



seafolly said:


> Oh so you're Canadian?  If so, you're kind of stuck in regards to which school you can attend - there are only 5 vet colleges in Canada and they're restricted to the students that live in the province/next door provinces. Well, okay, there are a handful of seats for out of province students but given the competition I'm not sure it's worth it to apply elsewhere unless it's in the States or Australia or something.
> 19 isn't that old! Honestly I think if you wanted to keep the vet school door open you could. Just jump on as many volunteer opportunities as you can that involve a vast array of species. Like working at a small animal vet clinic is fine but add on a zoo, or travel with students abroad to work with elephants. This approach worked for my old housemate. She didn't get into OVC but she did get into an Australian vet college.
> 
> Oops, I just read "my state" haha. Not Canadian. ^^ Well gosh come to Canada! My biology degree only required one calculus course (and one stats in 2nd year). That said I also need to take 2 physics courses but...meh!


Neeeeed to go to Canada! xD
Oh wow, traveling abroad to work with elephants. *o* Now see, THAT is something I would like to do. It sounds amazing. I'll try hopping on some more volunteer experiences, I know we have a few vet offices around here, as well as a rescue and a _bunch_ of farms. And when I get to college, look around for some traveling opportunities there.  My state only has one zoo, pretty much on the other end.. I wouldn't mind getting experiences there either though. O:


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

regimes said:


> Neeeeed to go to Canada! xD
> Oh wow, traveling abroad to work with elephants. *o* Now see, THAT is something I would like to do. It sounds amazing. I'll try hopping on some more volunteer experiences, I know we have a few vet offices around here, as well as a rescue and a _bunch_ of farms. And when I get to college, look around for some traveling opportunities there.  My state only has one zoo, pretty much on the other end.. I wouldn't mind getting experiences there either though. O:


That fish is so cute! Although I can keep nestling birds alive no problem, goldfish stump me.  Oh, and I've successfully incubated duck eggs with just a desk lamp (for those who don't know, that's an extremely risky/time consuming/high failure rate way to go about it). But yeah, fish last two weeks with me and I do everything as those information books tell me to. I guess I'll have to settle for my dog, cat, and rats. 

Yeah that was in Thailand - I'm sure you can access that sort of trip in the States! I've noticed zoos give you giant brownie points so definitely check it out. 

Speaking of chem class...off to do more homework.


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

seafolly said:


> That fish is so cute! Although I can keep nestling birds alive no problem, goldfish stump me.  Oh, and I've successfully incubated duck eggs with just a desk lamp (for those who don't know, that's an extremely risky/time consuming/high failure rate way to go about it). But yeah, fish last two weeks with me and I do everything as those information books tell me to. I guess I'll have to settle for my dog, cat, and rats.
> 
> Yeah that was in Thailand - I'm sure you can access that sort of trip in the States! I've noticed zoos give you giant brownie points so definitely check it out.
> 
> Speaking of chem class...off to do more homework.


Thanks 
Ohmygoodness! That sounds incredible! What kind of nesting birds- or are they ducks? Do you have any pictures? 
We had a nest of robins on one of our back window ledges one year, I took a mess of pictures of them too. Birds are such sweet little creatures- but mama gets mad if you hang around them too much. xD She kept nosediving at my head. 
Thank you, I'll check it out.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

regimes said:


> Thanks
> Ohmygoodness! That sounds incredible! What kind of nesting birds- or are they ducks? Do you have any pictures?
> We had a nest of robins on one of our back window ledges one year, I took a mess of pictures of them too. Birds are such sweet little creatures- but mama gets mad if you hang around them too much. xD She kept nosediving at my head.
> Thank you, I'll check it out.



house sparrow by princessinboots, on Flickr

This one's pictured a little older (though she still couldn't fly at that age). Typically they come to me around a week old and I raise for release. Bald and ugly.  Birds are very good at protecting their kiddos! Thus far I've had Mallards, House Sparrows (above), and Starlings.


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## Samtrix (Aug 22, 2011)

@regimes- Yes, you do need to go to Canada  What state do you live in?
Agricultural science is awesome, I loved that it was so broad. I took classes on plants, animals, soil, microbiology, economics, entymology, field trips to farms every week, and labs in the greenhouse. Great field to be in since people will always need food. The program was so small (I had several classes with only 3-10 people) that the stress wasn't too horrible for my SA.
About the aquarium, it's not that I _couldn't_ take care of it, I just 'forgot' to clean it out regularly. I had silver and gold gouramis, neons, a pleco, catfish, and sharks. I'd rather take care of mammals, I guess that's cause I'm a farmer.
@seafolly- You have rats too? They have such a bad reputation, but they're pretty quiet and cute. I had one a few years ago, then when he died, I got a ferret. We also have a rescued chow who thinks she's royalty. We took in a baby deer years ago too, the mother died and it was only a few hours old. We kept it in the barn and my dog would sleep with him to keep him warm.


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## Karuni (Jun 26, 2011)

regimes said:


> Woah, can I go to your school? xD
> I love me some canines/mammals too. Sorry to hear about your fish experiences
> What were your experiences like volunteering at the zoo? Did you get to watch any zoologists at work? Or work with any animals?
> There's one zoo in my state, so I'd probably have to go to a school near there to get some intern/volunteer hours, but it sounds like it'd be awesome to get to do that.


I was really, really grateful my school district had a program like that. Shadowing the zookeepers is one of my most favorite memories of high school. I usually helped clean animal cages and sometimes put in food. There were some rare moments where I did get to interact directly with the animals. I got to hold a Macaroni Penguin, a Rockhopper Penguin, and stand while holding back a King Penguin for taking photos. 
During my senior year, I did a behavioral research project with the wildlife safari park's wolf pack so I drove out there once a week from October to May. The research stopped in January but I loved it out there so much, I kept on going almost every Monday. I also shadowed the keepers who took care of the African Wild Dogs at the zoo. It was really cool to watch them feed and train them. Unfortunately, I only got to see them a few times since it was so late in the year.

I like looking at fish; I don't have anything against fish in general. It's just that I really have an issue with dead fish (give me the shivers :O), and one time I had a HUGE over 1ft long Pleco (when we bought two of them, the idiot pet store owner said they'd stay small). I had to get him out of the tank when he died, and he was too big for the toilet so into a paper bag and out into the backyard he went. Yucky memory. Anytime I see Plecos at PetCo or Wal-Mart, I have to look away...

One day, I want to have some small birds as pets such a budgies or lovebirds. I'm going to be a crazy lady with no kids but a house full of dogs and birds. xD I just adore dogs so much, I squeal "Puppy!" whenever I see one.


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

seafolly said:


> house sparrow by princessinboots, on Flickr
> 
> This one's pictured a little older (though she still couldn't fly at that age). Typically they come to me around a week old and I raise for release. Bald and ugly.  Birds are very good at protecting their kiddos! Thus far I've had Mallards, House Sparrows (above), and Starlings.


So. Pretty! It sounds like a really good thing you're doing. 



Samtrix said:


> @regimes- Yes, you do need to go to Canada  What state do you live in?
> Agricultural science is awesome, I loved that it was so broad. I took classes on plants, animals, soil, microbiology, economics, entymology, field trips to farms every week, and labs in the greenhouse. Great field to be in since people will always need food. The program was so small (I had several classes with only 3-10 people) that the stress wasn't too horrible for my SA.
> About the aquarium, it's not that I _couldn't_ take care of it, I just 'forgot' to clean it out regularly. I had silver and gold gouramis, neons, a pleco, catfish, and sharks. I'd rather take care of mammals, I guess that's cause I'm a farmer.


Yesss. I wonder how one might go about doing that? No idea. xD
The field sounds like it has a bunch to cover- you gotta have lots of job options  And greenhouses! <3 
I live in Georgia.  Which is good cause there's a shore in my state. I'm thinking about finding a college near there even if I don't decide on marine biology. 
Yeah. xD Cleaning is a pain. But omg gouramis <3 Sharks get really big, though, I am _dying _for a silver-tipped one but they need so much space and my living arrangements are temporary for the most part.
I love farms. My best friend (who is going into your major) lives on a farm with her family.. their baby cows are adorable. She has some horses too.



karuni said:


> I was really, really grateful my school district had a program like that. Shadowing the zookeepers is one of my most favorite memories of high school. I usually helped clean animal cages and sometimes put in food. There were some rare moments where I did get to interact directly with the animals. I got to hold a Macaroni Penguin, a Rockhopper Penguin, and stand while holding back a King Penguin for taking photos.
> During my senior year, I did a behavioral research project with the wildlife safari park's wolf pack so I drove out there once a week from October to May. The research stopped in January but I loved it out there so much, I kept on going almost every Monday. I also shadowed the keepers who took care of the African Wild Dogs at the zoo. It was really cool to watch them feed and train them. Unfortunately, I only got to see them a few times since it was so late in the year.


Oh wow. *o* I'm so insanely jealous right now. My high school was pretty small and didn't have much to offer- even though they had some awesome science teachers that really ushered me into curiosity for these fields.
Just wow. I would love to do some research on a wolf pack. And African wild dogs!


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

Samtrix said:


> @seafolly- You have rats too? They have such a bad reputation, but they're pretty quiet and cute. I had one a few years ago, then when he died, I got a ferret. We also have a rescued chow who thinks she's royalty. We took in a baby deer years ago too, the mother died and it was only a few hours old. We kept it in the barn and my dog would sleep with him to keep him warm.


Yeah, ever since I was 15 I've had at least two at a time.  I'd scour Kijiji and grab them from those "free otherwise being fed to snake" sort of ads. The amazing thing was they were always so friendly and willing to be held/cuddled despite lack of socialization. I think my current two boys may be my last though. I'll never be too old but with a puppy and a cat, well, rats need time too!

Aww...mothers often leave their babies actually when they're too young to run with the rest of the herd. They hide them under porches or in tall grasses, etc, and return at the end of the day. Hopefully her mother actually died (I never thought I'd say that!). I hope she was okay too!


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## Faded Lines (Sep 22, 2006)

regimes said:


> So I'm still wavering between majors- I began as an art school student, progressed to Visual Effects, transferred for Information Technology- and I'm beginning to question my major route again. I'm an obvious hands on type of person. And while I love technology and computers- and would gladly do it as a safety plan- even before I went to art school I was curious about zoology.
> 
> But I really got into fishkeeping this past summer and I realized today after installing two sponge filters via a gang valve into my 20g so it can start cycling, and having my ammonia test kit and Seachem Prime nearby, that I _really_ love taking care of animals. I have a few betta that I rescued from our local fish store that, when I got them, were gray and doubled over with fin rot and swim bladder problems and practically starved, but after a few weeks of AQ salt, water changes, and feeding garlic soaked pellets with a tweezer, they're fully colored and eating whole pellets, growing fins back again. I have a bulletin board for water changes information on my wall and I keep a log of everything I do for my aquariums (I'm a fish nerd, go figure?). Basically, being involved with fishkeeping has only rekindled my curiosity about the possibility of going into something like zoology, or marine biology, or on a really off chance, veterinary medicine.
> 
> ...


This is what got me interested in biology:fishkeeping. Been doing so since 10th grade, am now a junior in college. I plan on doing something with fish as a career. In terms of academia, I was horrendous at math in high school and got a 420 on SAT in math. I have taken four math courses in college:

College Algebra: B, Precalc: B, Calculus: A-, Calculus 2: A-. All it takes is hard work and a good professor.

Here's my aquarium:









Also, glad to see you use Prime. There's nothing better.


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

Faded Lines said:


> This is what got me interested in biology:fishkeeping. Been doing so since 10th grade, am now a junior in college. I plan on doing something with fish as a career. In terms of academia, I was horrendous at math in high school and got a 420 on SAT in math. I have taken four math courses in college:
> 
> College Algebra: B, Precalc: B, Calculus: A-, Calculus 2: A-. All it takes is hard work and a good professor.
> 
> ...


This is definitely a late reply but this post made me sincerely happy  Considering fishkeeping has made me sure about my career path. And because I'm so horrendous at math.

also your aquarium looks amazing! the plants look spectacular. 
thanks for sharing


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

regimes said:


> This is definitely a late reply but this post made me sincerely happy  Considering fishkeeping has made me sure about my career path. And because I'm so horrendous at math.
> 
> also your aquarium looks amazing! the plants look spectacular.
> thanks for sharing


I don't think math would necessarily cripple you, but if you know you're weak, just plan around it. As Seafolly and others have said, good grades aren't the only thing that's important for getting into grad schools, extra curriculars are important as well. I'd imagine the vet route is similar to the med school route, so things like volunteering and work experience are very important. If you want to be a vet, you should volunteer at an animal shelter, or vet office, or something of this nature, to show that you care, and that you're interested. If you could work in a vet office, or at least shadow veterinarians, it would show that you not only are interested, but that you understand what a vet does. Other things like research could be helpful as well, to show that you are passionate about science and possibly interested in academia also are probably beneficial. Other things which are important here are leadership roles, so tutoring, being the RA of your dorm, being an officer in an honor society/club all also look very good when applying and a lot of people will have them.

The last bit goes 1,000,000x fold for marine biology or zoology. Any strictly scientific path pretty much requires research in that, or a related, field to show that you are genuinely interested in the science, have an understanding of the science, and can/will contribute to it. To do anything decent in a scientific field, you pretty much need a PHD, and a PHD is centered completely around research, so it really is a must.


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

lonelyjew said:


> I don't think math would necessarily cripple you, but if you know you're weak, just plan around it. As Seafolly and others have said, good grades aren't the only thing that's important for getting into grad schools, extra curriculars are important as well. I'd imagine the vet route is similar to the med school route, so things like volunteering and work experience are very important. If you want to be a vet, you should volunteer at an animal shelter, or vet office, or something of this nature, to show that you care, and that you're interested. If you could work in a vet office, or at least shadow veterinarians, it would show that you not only are interested, but that you understand what a vet does. Other things like research could be helpful as well, to show that you are passionate about science and possibly interested in academia also are probably beneficial. Other things which are important here are leadership roles, so tutoring, being the RA of your dorm, being an officer in an honor society/club all also look very good when applying and a lot of people will have them.
> 
> The last bit goes 1,000,000x fold for marine biology or zoology. Any strictly scientific path pretty much requires research in that, or a related, field to show that you are genuinely interested in the science, have an understanding of the science, and can/will contribute to it. To do anything decent in a scientific field, you pretty much need a PHD, and a PHD is centered completely around research, so it really is a must.


that is some valuable information, thank you  
i think i'm going to look into nearby volunteering opportunities now when i look at colleges. if volunteer work and experience are important, i should get into it as soon as possible. 
PhD scares me, to be honest. though that could be SA-related insecurity. but i think i could see myself going after it. and it kinda makes me excited to imagine myself doing that. 
awesome, thanks for the advice. i appreciate hearing the actual facts (the obstacles i'll face in pursuing such a career) instead of the usual "you can do anything you set your mind to" stuff.


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## cat001 (Nov 1, 2010)

I currently study a BSc (Hons) in Zoo Biology at uni and am in my third year at last! 

At college I studied for a Btec in Forensic Science and managed to get into uni with it because it's an applied science. My maths really isn't that great but thankfully that hasn't seemed to matter.

This course has really helped me on a personal level as well becuase it's just brimming with oppertunities. In year 2 they had a trip to south africa where my anxieties just seemed to melt away. We were involved in a lot of activities to keep us occupied and was an educational as well as extremely fun trip. There was also a trip to Edinburgh zoo where we had to study the animals for 5 days. We had to make our own way down and book our own accomodation, something which seemed daunting at first but the feeling of accomplishment was amazing!  This year i'm hoping to go to Mauritius with the uni and help out with conservation there.

Each year you can put your name down to help with the lambing (they have sheep on the campus) as well as help out on the animal unit too. 

And the support i've recieved from the uni with my anxiety and dyslexia is almost overwhelming, they've been amazing with me! I have great diffeculty with comprehension of my assignments and work far too slowly, these issues have caused me to have to re-take year 1 and year 2 but still they make me feel i'm more than capable and maintain a certain level of confidence that i'll make it through this final year.

I'm thinking I may seek work with a zoo to begin with and later may travel abroad to aid in wildlife conservation when i'm a little more confident.

Well they're my experiances with my course.


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