After two years in biology, I completely changed direction

By Rida Warsi

I spent the last two years of my undergrad as a Biology Major in Life Sciences. While I enjoyed my time in Biology and loved my major, I knew that Science long-term was not for me. Life Sciences usually gets a bad reputation for being a program that does not offer many choices post-graduation, which I do not believe is true.

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Many masters programs can be pursued within Biology if medical school is not right for you. However, I could not see myself within any of those Masters programs. The course I enjoyed the most out of my two years was Microbiology and Immunology, but I did not like being in the lab enough to believe that I could follow a Master’s degree in it and live my following academic years in a lab.

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So, I decided to switch programs to Political Science. The program choice was not difficult for me because I have had an interest in politics since high school, and I saw myself in Law School or in a Masters of Public Policy in the future.

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However, getting to the headspace that I needed a change when I spent the last two years of my undergrad in a completely different line of academia was not easy. It took some time and certain experiences, but I came to the realization that I could see more options for myself in Arts than I could within Science. Doing the right thing for yourself, while definitely not being easy and uncomfortable at times, is necessary and the most rewarding in the end. University is what you make of it, and getting out of your comfort zone is a very big part of that.

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I am still adjusting to the Downtown location, courses, and new methods of studying, but I am excited and looking forward to my upcoming years in Political Science. I have had some great interactions already with my professors and colleagues, and while I am grateful for my years in Biology, I know I made the right choice switching programs.

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