Biosciences offer an interesting platform for high school students in making smart career choices in the future. Careers in biosciences provide a wide range of specialization to sort from, making it a flexible and popular discipline worldwide.
When to start preparing for a career in Biosciences?
Although a ‘career’ officially begins from college, the preparation should begin from high school. The right approach to commit to a career in biosciences begins with an appropriate selection of subjects and active participation in developing outside-classroom skills. In order to qualify for higher education abroad, students need to demonstrate several qualities that exemplify their chances of acceptance into the right-fit “dream” school/college(s).
Which subjects are mandatory for careers in biosciences?
The career path in biosciences can become extremely multidisciplinary in the long run, making job hunt easier and job prospects better. Subjects to include in high school are:
- Mathematics
- Biology/Biotechnology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Computer Applications
Mathematics has been intentionally put on the top of the list to emphasize how important it can become in pursuing higher education in biosciences (in general). It turns out to be one of the biggest advantages in applied biotechnological domains both in the academic and industrial sectors. Needless to say how important the knowledge of computers has become in the technology-driven world; it is equally important, if not more.
Profile-building for Careers in Biosciences while in High School
Besides consistent academic records, high-schoolers need to efficiently utilize their time to build their profile. Overseas admissions committees have several parameters to assess a student as an overall individual. Students need to portray their interests and passion in a way that is convincing and authentic enough of their long-term goals. Points to prioritize on during this preparatory phase:
- Consistent grades (however redundant this sounds, it is the first screening point)
- Summer schools
- Bootcamps [check out Winter Bootcamp on Biotech & Bioinformatics for Grade 8 – 12 students]
- Certified online courses
- Short-term trainings
- Subscription to science magazines
Extracurricular Activities for Careers in Biosciences
This is a more generic topic rather than bioscience-specific. Nonetheless, it is a pivotal factor in pursuing higher studies abroad in any stream per se. Definitely not the first checkpoint for screening thousands of applications, but certainly decisive when choosing from among the best few.
Extracurriculars are indicators of people skills, leadership qualities, community engagement, and overall personality. This is in conjunction with the bigger question as to what the international student brings to the overseas school/college besides academic merit: character, individuality, and troubleshooting abilities alike. Interpersonal qualities are best judged through these non-academic pursuits:
- Sports
- Creative school clubs: quiz, debate, extempore
- Blogging, content writing
- Community and voluntary services
Related Article: How to Prepare for Pre-med in High School