An undergraduate degree in health science prepares students for a variety of jobs in diverse health care fields. Many health science students use the degree to prepare for professional healthcare positions in administration and management. A Bachelor’s Degree in health science is more of a general degree to provide the stepping-stone to a wide variety of careers. In some programs, students choose between a pre-professional track, which leads to graduate school, or a clinical manager track suited for those already working in health care or with an associate’s degree. If you want to prepare yourself for life as a health science student, you have come to the right place. Here is your guide to understanding what a typical day for a full-time health science student is like.
Attending General Education and Elective Courses of Your Choice
All students who are studying to earn their bachelor’s degree must complete general education (GE) courses as well as elective courses of their choice. If you enroll in a bachelor’s program, you can expect to start your student career attending GE classes that do not necessarily pertain to your major. The typical student, who is enrolled in school full-time, will take between 12 and 15 credits per semester. This means that students will spend 2 to 4 hours in class per day, and about 3 additional hours per class each week completing homework. Full-time students should allot about 38 to 45 hours per week to their studies.
Health Science Coursework
Health science degree coursework usually includes science-related classes such as biology, chemistry, physics and environmental health. There will also be general subject classes like organizational management, healthcare policy, community health and medical terminology.
Some of the most popular health science degree courses are:
Introduction to Health Science
Anatomy and Physiology
Introductory Health Statistics
Epidemiology
Students may also have to choose a concentration and can select from environment health and other fields.
Balancing Your Time As a Student and Young Adult
One thing you must learn to do while earning your health science degree is to balance your schedule. As you select the days and times of classes, you must consider your other obligations. If you work part-time, have to commute or have children, you must be ready to juggle a lot of different balls. Classes may only last 1 to 3 hours but you will need to commit a lot of additional time to your studies. During your off time, you must find time to clean, do laundry, study, complete homework, go to the gym, socialize and participate in clubs where you can network.
This is just a little taste in the life of a health science student. The need for health science majors has increased thanks to the growing population of aging baby boomers. Based on statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 28% of all jobs created by 2018 will be health-related. If you want to compete for these jobs, attend a health science degree program, work hard in your classes and get ready for success.