The simple answer to why people should study Biology is simple: the world needs it! We are faced with many issues — environmental, social, health-related — and biologists are somehow or other involved in coming up with solutions. No pressure, right?
The truth is, there are many other reasons to study Biology, and we’ve looked at some of the most important ones below. Let us see why you too might wish to study Biology:
Table of Contents
1. You can choose from various Biology specialisations
Biology is an immense area of study, which implies that you do not have to settle for a general degree. Many sub-disciplines are available (most of them at Master’s level); here are just a few to get you started:
- Molecular Biology
- Human Biology
- Plant Biology
- Environmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
2. Biology is a fascinating subject – Study Biology
In line with the Oxford online dictionary, Biology is “the systematic study of the life and structure of plants and animals” — isn’t that wonderful? Is it not exciting that you will spend your time learning about life on this planet and how it has evolved and developed over billions of years?
You will deal with all kinds of topics and stumble upon oddities that leave most people speechless. For example, did you know that:
- the blood vessels of an adult human could circle the Earth’s equator 4 times?
- elephants have nearly 150,000 muscle pieces in their trunks?
- giant pandas use between 10-16 hours each day eating?
- frogs can inexplicably change their sex?
These are only a few instances of findings you’ll make or facts you’ll discover during your Biology education or after graduation.
3. You can study Biology at the best Biology schools
To be the best often means you need to learn from the best. And the same applies to future biologists. According to the latest QS Rankings, the following are the top Biology universities in the entire world. Check them out:
- Harvard University, the US
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the US
- University of Cambridge, the UK
- Stanford University, the US
- University of Oxford, the US
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB), the US
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Yale University, the US
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the US
- University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the US
Other rankings are available:
4. Biology jobs offer high salaries and job stability
Biology is highly specialised, so it’s almost not surprising that specialists in this field are paid very well and recognized for their work.
The job outlook for biologists also looks great; in the US, for example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a 4-5% growth between 2019-2029 for microbiologist and biological technician job openings.
Your salary will vary on the basis of experience, job title, and, of course, the nation where you work. But to reveal what you could earn, we’ll take a look at the most popular Biology jobs and the average salaries in the US based on data from PayScale:
- Biotechnologist – 51,725 USD/year
- Microbiologist – 54,600 USD/year
- Marine biologist – 52,390 USD/year
- Soil scientist – 58,650 USD/year
- Research scientist – 81,380 USD/year
- Biochemist – 61,760 USD/year
- Wildlife biologist – 51,010 USD/year
5. You can become a bio-entrepreneur – Study Biology
Bio-entrepreneurship is an increasingly popular term nowadays. That’s due to the fact that a growing number of young scientists/Biology graduates see it as a chance to use their knowledge for the profit of the world, but on their own terms.
Obviously, bio-entrepreneurship isn’t all fun and games. Actually, Biology knowledge alone won’t be enough. You’ll need a secondary degree in Business or at least some experience of how new companies work, how to manage people, and so on.
But there are lots of prospects in the biology and biotechnology areas:
- Opening a medicine store
- Starting a genetic engineering laboratory or company
- Establishing an organisation providing advice regarding environmental or biological challenges
And the list could go on. Now, it’s your turn to be creative!
6. The world needs biologists – Study Biology
Although there’s no such thing as a “good or bad” time to become a biologist, the truth is, many of the issues we are facing today are somehow connected to Biology:
- Reducing carbon dioxide without creating side effects
- Using antibiotics without creating super-resistant bacteria
- Dealing with invasive species from other habitats
- Producing resilient and easy-to-produce materials that are recyclable
- Designing the future of agriculture, crops, and food supplies
And these are only a few examples. Our challenges are plentiful, but if you possess the curiosity to comprehend life and nature itself, you could impact a lot of good in the world if you study Biology.
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