Late night searching.

I was looking at research opportunities for undergraduate students for my university - because I feel like if I get some hands-on experience with something, it might help me make up my mind.

Here's the situation I'm basically in right now:

I'm trying to fulfill all pre-pharmacy school requirements AND get a degree in Microbiology. A degree is 120 credit hours. Enough of the Micro and pre-phamr requirements/pre-reqs overlap to give me a grand total (if I take all classes) of 142 hours. I can make that happen in four years - I have it all written down on paper to prove to you that I can. However, it requires a lot of 17-18 credit hour semesters. I don't just want to do pre-pharmacy because it's not an actual degree, but I was looking at jobs that you can get with even just a bachelor's degree in Microbiology (and I would be doing at least 2 years of graduate school) and some of them sound really interesting.

So I'm currently doing pros and cons of the things I am considering: pharmacy school, graduate school for Microbiology (the biggest con is having to defend a dissertation...I get very flustered when people pick my arguments apart...), and genetics counseling. Genetics counseling is slightly less than a 50% pay cut per year from pharmacy, and Microbiology can fall in between or match pharmacy. Obviously, money isn't the only thing I care about, and there are a lot of deciding factors for me. Unfortunately, one of those deciding factors is money.

None of this is my original point. There are 2 research opportunities for me at my university. One is in the Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology department, and one is in the Microbiology department. Before I apply for either position, however, I would like to get my GPA up a few points. (Well point points. My GPA is a 3.43...I'd like to have a 3.5 at least if/when I apply.) So I'm really going to focus this semester and do my very best. Then we'll see. They have multiple positions open, and I also need to get my resume updated and write a statement of interest and make a list of related classes for each one. (Also why I'm waiting a semester...I'll have a semester of Ecology under my belt and both semester of general Chemistry, as well as a semester of Physics - all of which will probably aid me in getting a position, especially if I do well in them!)

But we'll see, we'll see.

Also! I am e-mailed the head of the Biology department at the start of term to ask about Tri-Beta! I am so excited. One of my biology professors from last spring e-mailed me about it. I hope I get to be inducted!