“Summer research was a truly great experience that I will never forget. Not only did I have the opportunity to work and engage with other classmates who shared and spurred my enthusiasm, but the time I spent in the lab gave me the confidence I needed to be able to research, design, and perform my own scientific experiments.”
“Working in a lab at Williams over the summer is not only a great opportunity to gain research experience and work closely with Williams professors, but also a time to get to know your Professors in a fun, laid-back environment. Between between canoe trips, cook-outs, and baking parties, my lab partner and I had a blast hanging out with our Professor inside and outside of lab this summer.”
“The spring of my junior year I studied at Sea Education Association/SEA Semester. I spent 6 weeks in Woods Hole, MA taking classes in oceanography, nautical science, and maritime studies all in preparation for heading to sea for another 6 weeks aboard a 135-foot brigantine sailing vessel.”
I’ve had a wonderful experience studying biology and neuroscience as a part of the Williams Exeter Programme at Oxford (WEPO). I’ve been able to take tutorials that are highly catered to my interests, including Music and Cognition, Auditory Neuroscience, Immunology and Physiology & Pharmacology. While it’s humbling to be tutored and lectured by some of…
I spent the fall of my junior year studying in Galway, Ireland. I took a Human Anatomy course, which counted toward my Biology major.
Studying biology at Oxford has been amazing.
While studying at Kings College London, I not only learned to navigate the narrow streets of London and its public transportation system – I discovered all kinds of things about the subject and field of biology!
I’m currently in Australia with SIT: Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology.
“I spent most of my fall semester in Costa Rica living in an indigenous community, teaching english to local high schoolers and living with a wonderful host family. Though I didn’t take any formal classes during my stay there, I learned a lot about the biology, cultures, and climate of the region through experience and daily interaction with local community members. I can now identify more birds in spanish than I can in english!”
“Studying abroad in Fiji, at the University of the South Pacific, was a great way to explore conservation science in a region of great biodiversity. I had an amazing experience and even got credit towards my Biology major in the process. I had the opportunity to learn both in a classroom and in a truly unique field setting, something that would not have been possible if I didn’t go abroad. “
“As a part of my Australian Vertebrate Fauna class, I participated in population surveys at the Toomba Research Station. The station, now declared a nature refuge, extends for 47,000 ha across the northeastern region of Queensland, Australia. Through one class’ four-day camping trip, I was able to handle and identify carpet pythons, kingfishers, and kookaburras!”
“Going to New Zealand is great for zoology because so many of the endemic species are biologically extreme, you can see birds that have whiskers like mammals (kiwis), insects that each weigh as much as a sparrow (weta), or parrots that live in the snow (kea)! Unfortunately the government is pretty strict about bringing specimens back.”
“Fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Paris, through Hamilton College Junior Year in France. Taking Biology in France was definitely challenging at times, but it was a great way to meet living, breathing, French biology students; they are not used to having international classmates, so they’ll be excited to be your lab partner, even if you lean over and ask a question every two minutes.”
“It was surprisingly easy to get credit for the Biol major while abroad at the CIEE Program in Barcelona. I just looked over the biology courses offered with one of our professors, and found the classes that could count. The biology course I took had a “practical” (lab) component as well, which actually added to the cultural immersion.”
“While studying abroad at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand I took a course on Marine Botany. The classes and labs were amazing but I really got to know the seaweeds well through surfing the city’s stunning beaches. This is a large monoculture stand of Undaria pinnatifada, a devastating invasive, but edible, seaweed.”
“While studying abroad at Otago University I chose to study Ecology and Field Botany. Along with fulfilling the requirements for my major here at Williams, the courses enhanced my understanding of the connection between the people and the flora and fauna of New Zealand. Additionally, my newly founded plant identification skills proved to be quite useful on my travels around the island!”
“In my first tutorial in Biology, I engaged with science papers with a meticulousness and critical thinking skills that have helped me with all my courses. I not only had to read to understand, but also had to be able to critique different authors that were arguing different points around the same issue. This class was one of the most intense classes I’ve taken at Williams, but one of the most rewarding.”
“Taking the biology tutorial was one of my best decisions here at Williams. I loved the intimate setting–our professor always offered us tea and cookies–and the class seemed more like a friendly discussion than a class. I learned so much in the tutorial and find myself frequently thinking about topics we covered in the tutorial. I highly recommend taking a biology tutorial.”
“In a winter study 99, I was able to work as a paid volunteer for the Alaska Raptor Center. The rehabilitation center, located in Sitka, allowed for hands-on work with bald eagles, kestrels, and peregrine falcons. Through a clinical assistant position, I interacted with all types of birds daily.”
This is a drawing course for science students and others who are interested in developing their skills in drawing from nature.