biology major confused....?

no kidding.

Be an anthropology major. It complements bio... very well.

Jobs are easier to get. Particularly if you have training in culture/biology which is what anthro is. Example when studying wolfs you a biologist looks at the biology but also their social patter - that what anthropologist do except with humans. Culture is just our adaptive mechanism created by our socio-biological nature. Company's and grand schools, even med students are know take minors or just majoring in anthro. The four Field approach to anthro - linguistic, biological, cultural, and archaeological gives students lots of diversity and skill as they are required to know a little of it all. Some jobs include

cultural manger for business

p.r. person

linguist

translator

cultural ambassador

biological asst.

coroner work

criminal Justice i.e. forensic anthropology - once bodies decompose it becomes a forensic anthropologist job

c.r.m. or cultural resource management/archaeologist - every time they want to build a road, business, etc they go out to do test of the ground to make sure there is nothing significant being put on top - good money involved and lots of biological work to.

Egyptology

cultural specialist

bio-archeology

human evolution

data entry

statistical asst.

G.I.S.

Primatologist

the list goes on

I recommend trying out some lab work in a specific biological field that interests you. If you take an elective class in a subject that you like, chances are that your teacher will be researching in that field. This can make a nice segway to introduce yourself and ask about lab work you could do (particularly if you're doing well in the class).

I did not do a minor for my undergrad, but I did start working in labs in my junior year. That experience was a good indication about what grad school is like. Personally, I get a thrill out of plotting up data that show something that no one has ever seen.

I did a master's and am now wrapping up a Ph.D.

For the most part, most biology majors, especially those who work in micro labs, usually get a minor in chemistry. That is what my minor is in. It all really depends on what you want to do and what you feel passionate about doing. If you like some of the things mentioned above, then anthro would be a good minor too. I highly recommend going to grad school. Biology fields are highly competitive and although its possible to get a job with just a B.S., its becoming more and more difficult to do that and those you can get aren't that great. Plus, I have had a lot more fun working on my M.S., doing research and other things then I did my B.S. If you don't like the research aspect then you could not do a thesis and earn a M.A. If you really like lab work, I suggest going to some of your professors and volunteer to work in their lab. That is what I did as an undergraduate and found the field and professor I wanted to get my masters under. This way you can try different fields whether it be micro, genetics, etc, plus it gets your experience using certain techniques, earn some future references, and you might find you like research in a particular field and be able to choose what specific biology field you want study. A masters isn't for everyone but if you find you love lab work and helping out with research, I highly recommend you trying to get your masters. I hope this helps.

I completely agree with the above answer. Talk to your professors and see if you can volunteer. The most important thing is to figure out what you want to do, because different minors compliment different fields. Science is incredibly diverse and by being able to narrow down what you think you might be interested in, you will be able to pick a minor that works out for you and your intended field. You have time, and chances are, most minor courses you will be taking you may already have completed, or will complete for you biology major if your minor is biology related.

Good luck. This is always one of the hardest parts in college. I understand, I'm still figuring it out too. :)

What you do is you choose which medical school you want to go to, this is very important for you right now since you are going to be a junior in college. The school website should list all the required science and other courses you need to take in order to get into that school. It should also list everything else you need to do, such as attain 2-3 letter's of reference from certain professional people, and even volunteer at a hospital or something. Look at all of those things, do them, and then apply for that school during your senior year at a university. Join some type of health club, even if the only one is dental or something, it helps. It there are none, you should def start one yourself (you need like 2 other people as well depending on what university it is). Also, study for the MCAT test which is required for med school. All the required courses you take should prepare you for taking that senior year before you apply. Yea I know it's hard becoming a doctor, but other people will be trusting you with their life. There is no pre-med program set up by a university or anything, it's just you preparing for it yourself by doing the required steps.

If you want to work in a lab, I agree that chemistry is your best bet, but research jobs are highly competitive so you might want to choose a minor that allows you more options. Here are a couple of hot fields and their respective minors:

Genetic Counseling-->Psychology

Environmental Law/Conservation Biology-->Political Science

Both of these areas are expanding and will continue to expand in the near future.