Study for career or out of interest?
I was planning on studying Biology at Uni next year so I could get a career as a conservationist, since that's something I've wanted to do for a while. My main passion would be philosophy though. The problem is I don't think I can get a career that I'd enjoy from studying it.
I either study biology (which I find pretty dry at times) and have a career I'd be fulfilled in or I study philosophy, enjoy it, probably get better marks but be kind of stuck on what I want to do afterwards.
Any advice would be very helpful cause this is driving me insane.
I either study biology (which I find pretty dry at times) and have a career I'd be fulfilled in or I study philosophy, enjoy it, probably get better marks but be kind of stuck on what I want to do afterwards.
Any advice would be very helpful cause this is driving me insane.
It's not a simple black or white issue, it's a compromise depending on how much you want to lean one way or another.
What do you find dry about biology? Biology is such a wide field, and A level Biology is nothing like degree level biology. In A level you only really do one example of each field (Molecular Biology = Protein Synthesis, Botany/Biochem = Photosynthesis, Immunology = T cells and B cells exist...), whereas degree level biology concentrates much more on a specific field. So most of what you studied at A level can be forgotten about in degree since it simply isn't relevant.
If you want elements of philosophy but with a more careerist attitude, you could always study ethics or bioethics.
What do you find dry about biology? Biology is such a wide field, and A level Biology is nothing like degree level biology. In A level you only really do one example of each field (Molecular Biology = Protein Synthesis, Botany/Biochem = Photosynthesis, Immunology = T cells and B cells exist...), whereas degree level biology concentrates much more on a specific field. So most of what you studied at A level can be forgotten about in degree since it simply isn't relevant.
If you want elements of philosophy but with a more careerist attitude, you could always study ethics or bioethics.
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by anti-duck
Original post by anti-duck
What about a combined honours? Biology and/with Philosophy.
The only one that I could really find is BSc Biology-History and Philosophy of Science at Leeds.
Postgraduate wise there's MA History and Philosophy of Biology at Exeter. Its entry requirements states a degree in a discipline related with the course (so, yes, Biology or Philosophy would be acceptable, or even that Leeds degree).
OP, since you want to become a conservationist, perhaps that Leeds degree may be the perfect course for you, and then do an MSc in Conservation. (Looking at some examples of courses, that Leeds degree would be accepted, though dependent on the institution. Though, not doing a pure Biology degree will NOT prevent you from doing MSc Conservation).
Hope this helps.
Original post by im so academic
The only one that I could really find is BSc Biology-History and Philosophy of Science at Leeds.
Postgraduate wise there's MA History and Philosophy of Biology at Exeter. Its entry requirements states a degree in a discipline related with the course (so, yes, Biology or Philosophy would be acceptable, or even that Leeds degree).
OP, since you want to become a conservationist, perhaps that Leeds degree may be the perfect course for you, and then do an MSc in Conservation. (Looking at some examples of courses, that Leeds degree would be accepted, though dependent on the institution. Though, not doing a pure Biology degree will NOT prevent you from doing MSc Conservation).
Hope this helps.
Postgraduate wise there's MA History and Philosophy of Biology at Exeter. Its entry requirements states a degree in a discipline related with the course (so, yes, Biology or Philosophy would be acceptable, or even that Leeds degree).
OP, since you want to become a conservationist, perhaps that Leeds degree may be the perfect course for you, and then do an MSc in Conservation. (Looking at some examples of courses, that Leeds degree would be accepted, though dependent on the institution. Though, not doing a pure Biology degree will NOT prevent you from doing MSc Conservation).
Hope this helps.
You can make up your own combined degree at a few universities, I'm hoping to do a pretty peculiar one
Read this article AND the comments below it. It's an extremely long read.
http://chronicle.com/article/What-Are-You-Going-to-Do-With/124651/
http://chronicle.com/article/What-Are-You-Going-to-Do-With/124651/
Study what you want to study. I made the HUGE error of choosing subjects which I thought would look better on my CV as opposed to subjects I actually enjoyed !!
So, three years down the line, I wasted 2 years at Bath uni studying maths for one year, then physics the second, then dropped out. Now I'm re-applying for uni again to do summit I actually want to do..
So, three years down the line, I wasted 2 years at Bath uni studying maths for one year, then physics the second, then dropped out. Now I'm re-applying for uni again to do summit I actually want to do..
Original post by anti-duck
Original post by anti-duck
You can make up your own combined degree at a few universities, I'm hoping to do a pretty peculiar one
I know. Usually like Combined Arts, Combined Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. I also hear that Scottish courses are pretty flexible.
But, after ages searching UCAS and university websites, that Leeds course is the only viable one that I could REALLY find.
Original post by im so academic
I know. Usually like Combined Arts, Combined Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. I also hear that Scottish courses are pretty flexible.
But, after ages searching UCAS and university websites, that Leeds course is the only viable one that I could REALLY find.
But, after ages searching UCAS and university websites, that Leeds course is the only viable one that I could REALLY find.
A few let you combine any kind of course together.
The ones i found that do this are Durham, Lancashire, Exeter, University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd, Liverpool and Newcastle. And of course the course at Leeds but these courses allow much more flexibility.
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