College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Insights: Amber's story

By Amber, a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Major: Animal and Poultry Sciences

I am currently a sophomore, enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Virginia Tech. My major is Animal and Poultry Sciences with a pre-vet emphasis, for I wish to become a veterinarian. I love being enrolled in CALS for several reasons. For one, it gets me involved in a lot of activities related to animals, for which I have a strong passion. Secondly, it links me to other students who enjoy participating in the same events as me.

By being enrolled in my major, I am able to apply for many volunteer opportunities in subjects that may spark my interest. For example, I applied to work at one of Virginia Tech's horse barns last semester and was actually chosen to help out. I went to the barn twice a week and volunteered my time to take horses in and out of the fields, feed them, clean their stalls,

organize the barn, and administer medicines and supplements when needed. Being a volunteer there opened more doors for me. Now, I work at a horse barns on a regular basis and am getting paid to be around and take care of animals that I love.

This semester I applied again, and am now a volunteer in the research field in the CALS. Currently, I report to the laboratory twice a week for about three or four hours. There I sterilize, wash, and organize equipment, as well as help any of the professors or graduate students with their research projects. With time and involvement, I soon hope to be able to perform my own research.

Were I not enrolled in the CALS, I probably would not have had the opportunity to be involved with animals and research at Virginia Tech. I love learning about animals and the environments that they live in, and if you are anything like me, you too may find that you love the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and feel at home there!

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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Insights: Allyson's Story

By Allyson, a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Major: Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise

It's freshman year and after a class period packed with bonds, electrons, and the periodic table of elements, I settle into my seat in my Introduction to Foods and Nutrition class. I breathe a breath of fresh air because this is my favorite class. This is a class that I love to come to, interact in, and a class where I don’t mind studying for tests or doing homework assignments. Introduction to Foods and Nutrition is where my fascination with nutrition began. Before I knew it, I was a Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Agriculture and Life Sciences is a great college to be in (although I'd have to say that you are in a great place anywhere if you are at Virginia Tech, but I may be slightly biased). The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has provided me with many more classes, besides just the introduction class, that are fascinating and enjoyable rather than a chore. Food Selection and Preparation is teaching me not only how to follow a recipe and cook, but the reasons behind why food is prepared the way it is and how sometimes recipes need to be altered based on altitude, ingredient substitution, and other factors. My Athletic Injuries class gives me the inside view of what it is like to be in sports medicine from the mouth of the actual Athletic Trainer, who we trust with the health of our beloved Hokies.

Being in this college has opened my eyes to countless opportunities that I didn't even know were available. I receive weekly updates from the department concerning events on campus having to do with our college; clubs and organizations that are geared toward my interests; service opportunities on campus; and numerous other ways to get involved. And all of us students have the opportunity to get our hands dirty by getting involved in undergraduate research or getting a job that goes right along with our major. A close friend of mine actually puts what she's learned in class to use when she goes to Virginia Tech's barn, where she works, and obtains samples, makes observations, and takes care of a lot of the livestock. That's just one of the many great things about Virginia Tech, and about the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in particular. So I encourage anyone that may have an interest in this particular college at Virginia Tech, to check it out. Who knew that an interesting nutrition class could open up so many doors? But it did, and it could for you too.

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CALS insights: Overview

Virginia Tech consists of seven colleges for undergraduate students. Freshman and transfer students can pick and choose from more than 70 majors from these seven colleges.

If you are interested in biotechnology, communities, the economy, the environment, food, or health, then the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences may be a good fit for you. Learn more

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences consists of 12 undergraduate majors:

• Agriculture and Applied Economics
• Agriculture Sciences
• Agriculture Technology
• Animal and Poultry Sciences
• Biochemistry
• Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
• Dairy Science
• Environmental Sciences
• Food Science and Technology
• Horticulture
• Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
• Life Sciences Undecided

At Virginia Tech, undergraduate students have access to research opportunities. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences features the Virginia Agriculture Experiment Station. Learn more

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CALS insights: Catherine's story

By Catherine, a junior in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Major: Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise

Classes are in full swing and the Hokies have another win under their belt! What could be better than spending a victory Sunday preparing for the school week!

As a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), I am connected with a wide variety of science and agricultural communities. I was attracted to CALS because of the human nutrition, foods and exercise major in preparation for dental school, but the college has a wide variety of options. From agriculture to biochemistry to dairy science, there are a wide variety of options in CALS.

The clubs and organizations associated with majors and other interests in the college are endless, so there are lots of opportunities to meet students with similar interests outside of class. In addition, CALS has wonderful scholarship opportunities for students. The advisors and professional staff are great at helping students figure out their future career goals and build their academic schedule to be one of the most enriching experiences you can have.

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