Biologist got the right start at college

Starting at college removed the fear-factor from pursuing her degree, says Tanya Jones.

Associate of Science graduate Tanya Jones says she found the solid footing and clarity she was looking for at Douglas College.

"I can say with 95% certainty that I wouldn't have made it through university if I hadn't gone to college first," says Jones, who had been out of high school for five years when she came to Douglas. After graduating with her Associate of Science, Jones went on to SFU where she got a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She is now working as a researcher in a plant pollination lab at SFU.

Jones came to Douglas with the ultimate goal of getting a degree. But first she had to deal with her fears. "I was terrified because I wasn't a great high school student. I thought I'd be one of a large group. I worried, ‘Are they going to expect me to know everything now?'"

Soon after beginning her studies at Douglas, she became "extremely comfortable."

"The classes were small, the professors knew my name. They were all so willing to help - their expectations were clear and realistic. I learned how to study, write tests and hold myself accountable," says Jones. While help was available when she transferred to SFU, she notes, "In third year, it's on you. You can get help, but so many other people are asking for it." 

She was particularly glad that she had taken the Calculus courses that were mandatory for her SFU degree program at Douglas. 

"If anything would have prevented me from pursuing my goal, it was math. Finding out I had to do Calculus 1 and 2 was a huge weight on my shoulders. (Instructors) Wes Snider and Susan Oesterle were amazing in their efforts to help me," says Jones. 

Namely, she says it was her instructors' student-centred approach that mattered the most. They made themselves available outside of class for help. Teaching assistants in the Math labs were also supportive. And the hands-on experience she got in Biology labs was incredible, says Jones.

"The kind of labs you get to do in Cell Biology - you don't get to do that in second-year university. You have to wait until third or fourth year."

After graduating with her degree from SFU, Jones travelled to French Guyana to work as a research assistant to a friend who was working on his PhD. "It's something you see on TV that's amazing but is what someone else does." 

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