This past week, I interviewed Sydney Alibeckoff, a junior at Ohio State majoring in Microbiology.
Q: When and why did you choose this major?
A: “I chose Microbiology because the spring of my freshman year I took a microbiology course for a pre-vet requirement and I ended up completely falling in love with it. I became really fascinated with Microbiology and the biochemistry of life and decided to change my major to that, and I also decided to do a Biochemistry minor.”
Q: Did you start in this major? If so, did you ever question your decision? If not, what was/were your previous major(s) and how did you decide on this one?
A: “No, I started in Animal Science, but I changed majors because I liked the more molecular analysis of biology rather than the study of larger macroorganisms and phenotypes.”
Q: What was your favorite major course, and why?
A: “My favorite major course so far was the general microbiology course because I had a fantastic professor, Doctor Pradhan. She’s the one that helped me decide to change my major.”
Q: What kinds of extracurricular experiences (research, internships, co-ops, student organizations, study abroad, etc) have you had? Why did you choose those particular opportunities?
A: “I’m doing undergraduate research at a Microbiology lab. I decided I wanted to try research to see if I wanted to go down the “research and development” path for a career, and I ended up really loving it. The whole research-inquiry process is really fascinating, and also I work with a fantastic grad student who’s become my mentor. He’s great!”
Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: “I intend to go to grad school. I don’t know if I’m going to do that right out of college or work for a couple of years to learn what specific area I want to go into, whether it is biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, etc. I want to make sure I know what area I want to go into before starting six years of grad school.”
When I first tried to find someone to interview for my prospective major, Animal Science, I realized this assignment might not be the piece of cake I originally thought it would be. No one I knew was an Animal Science major, let alone any major I was even remotely considering. I searched for possible interviewees on the Senior Bank, but received no reply to the emails I sent out. Right when I was beginning to panic I realized I knew someone from my high school who went to Ohio State and originally majored in Animal Science. Although she switched her major to Microbiology down the road, Sydney was the perfect person to give me all of the pros and cons of both Animal Science and Microbiology (which I am considering as a minor). Although she is a junior at Ohio State, she has already taken multiple major-specific courses and does research in a lab at OSU. I was overjoyed when she said yes to an interview.
I’m already decided on my major, but the interview helped me narrow down my minor choices immensely. I want a strong biological foundation, both micro and macro, and a minor in microbiology seems like the perfect way to balance out all of the macrobiology of an Animal Science major. Sydney explained some of the things she has learned in her microbiology courses as well as what she is currently researching in lab, which helped me to understand what a microbiology minor would entail. She helped me to see that a well-rounded knowledge of biology would best prepare me for veterinary school after graduation.
I told Sydney I was curious why she had switched from Animal Science into Microbiology. She answered that it was because she was more interested in microorganisms, instead of large organisms like cows and dogs. This helped me realize that Animal Science is a good match for me, because, unlike Sydney, I’m more interested in animals and multi-celled organisms than small microorganisms. This interview reinforced that I’m taking the right path for me.
I feel that I still need to learn what kinds of research opportunities are available for Animal Science majors, but I can easily learn this through Animal Science courses or by speaking to a FAES advisor. As far as minors go, before deciding on one, I’d like to compare microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular genetics a bit more.
The “Focus Career Assessment” helped me decide on a major because it narrowed down my interests and strengths and reinforced that the majors I was considering, like Animal Science, Zoology, and Biology were the right types of majors for me. Having to print my advising report and find what GE’s I had credit for was also incredibly helpful, because it helped me realize what classes I still have to take and which ones I don’t. Also, the required advising appointment helped me realize which classes I have to take next semester to set me on the path to an Animal Science major. Overall, I’m very glad I enrolled in the University Exploration program because it helped me feel a lot more confident about my intended major, and it has helped me narrow down my list of prospective minors.