What to Expect

Students working towards a microbiology degree learn to observe some of the world's smallest organisms, such as bacteria or fungi. They use their expertise to fight disease and battle infections.

"Microbiology is the base for a lot of studies in biology or molecular biology, and therefore its study opens many doors," says Jason Parente.

The general courses that students must take before entering into a microbiology specialization include biology, chemistry, math, physics, computer science, biochemistry and molecular biology. These are very difficult and time-consuming classes for some.

On average, a student may spend four to six hours a night on homework and studying and about four to five hours a day in classes and labs.

"I don't know if there is a typical day -- that's what makes it so interesting. It requires a lot of time and research, and good experiments take some effort to design," says Brent Christner, who took the program at Ohio State University. The time he spent on classes, labs and homework varied from day to day.

Some students find not only the classwork hard, but also the transition from high school to college.

"The change from high school to university is much different," says Parente. "Forget brute memorization, studying only the night before an exam and practically all the little tricks one has learned in high school. Eventually, with practice, students will learn new, more appropriate studying techniques."

Still, studying microbiology can be both challenging and rewarding. "It's not the kind of thing that the typical high school or college student has any experience with," says Christner. "It requires some willpower and a general interest in understanding life's processes at their fundamental level."

How to Prepare

Christner says in high school, you should take "every science course you can. The more interests a person has, the better prepared they are for any discipline. Diversity at every level is the key to success."

Extracurricular activities for a high school student are very important for developing time management skills. Getting involved in science clubs and science fairs is a good way for students to expand their horizons.