Once they enter the chaotic and hard world of higher education, countless students ponder their future. What will happen once you have obtained the degree? That is an especially harrowing question in the field of life science. Many dream about one day becoming a researcher, someone who investigates relentlessly in search of the next big break for the scientific community and humanity as a whole. That life, however, comes with its own benefits and drawbacks, and you have to be certain it is what you want.
Because of this, and with the additional plus of preparing you for your thesis, the University of Bergen created the course Research Practice in Biology (code BIO299). The purpose is clear: to give students a taste of what being a researcher actually entails, even if only briefly.
I myself have been a student of this course this semester, and I am here to explain to you my experience. Admittedly, at first I did not see the point. Having already completed a thesis at another university, I assumed I knew what they would cover in this course. Not to worry—I was quickly proven wrong. This reinforced an important principle that applies to every field: you always have something new to learn, even when it doesn’t seem so.
Anyways, moving on, I am unsure as to how many students this course usually has, but it turns out that this semester we were only three. While unusual, this small class size created an exceptional learning environment with close tutoring sessions and made resolving doubts much easier. We received personalized attention that would have been impossible in a larger group, allowing us to dive deeper into research concepts and methodologies.
The course started with the presentation of the syllabus we would cover that semester. From finding your own research group to presenting your work and everything in between. We left feeling motivated and ready to begin. That enthusiasm was tested, however, when we entered the challenging phase of actually securing a research placement.
Despite Bergen’s numerous research groups, finding one willing to accept a BIO299 student proved exceedingly difficult. The requirements for the course stipulate that students must participate in actual ongoing research and complete a minimum number of laboratory hours, constraints that not all groups could accommodate. Some labs lacked physical space for another person, while others didn’t have suitable projects that aligned with the course requirements. However, this challenge taught an important life lesson: persistence pays off. After numerous emails and meetings with potential supervisors across different departments, I eventually secured a position in the otolith research group led by Arild Folkvord.
Securing a placement was only the first hurdle. It was not exactly smooth sailing once each of us had the research group. None of us really knew how to proceed or how to become integrated into the research we were now part of. My initial meeting with my supervisor proved invaluable, as he clearly explained my role in the research project. My project would consist of the dissection of the otoliths and measurement of two cod species, the Atlantic and the polar. With this data, I would analyze whether the otolith weight would serve as a secure way to measure fish growth.
Having a supervisor you can trust and approach for help is, in my opinion, one of the most critical factors in a successful research project. With his guidance, along with support from other team members, the laboratory work became not only manageable but genuinely enjoyable. It was also increasingly important to understand why each method was used and to comprehend every step of the experiment. This deep understanding of methodology is something that distinguishes research experience from classroom learning. Not to mention the knowledge that you are always participating in something bigger, that your project is always only a part of the whole picture.
Naturally, the lab work was not the only thing I was doing at the time. Though not numerous, we had regular class meetings where we reported on our progress and—more importantly—discussed topics related to working in a research team. These discussions covered crucial areas such as avoiding plagiarism, understanding authorship in scientific publications, data management practices, and our rights as research team members.
These sessions were truly eye-opening. I realized that in all my years of university studies, not once had anyone sat us down and frankly explained these professional aspects of scientific work. To finally understand the ethical guidelines, the do’s and don’ts, and why scientific practices are structured as they are was very illuminating. From my perspective, this knowledge is incredibly valuable for anyone continuing work in the scientific field.
Beyond technical laboratory skills, BIO299 helped me develop crucial professional abilities. I learned to maintain a detailed laboratory notebook, communicate results effectively to team members, and manage my time between different research tasks. I also gained confidence in my ability to read and understand scientific literature related to our research. What once seemed like impenetrable jargon became increasingly comprehensible as I applied concepts from papers directly to our work in the lab.
As the semester progressed, I found myself enjoying the work I was performing. The satisfaction of generating new data and contributing to scientific knowledge, even in a small way, provides a unique sense of accomplishment. However, I also gained realistic insights into the challenges of research life—the funding pressures, publication requirements, and sometimes tedious troubleshooting processes.
For me, it all came to a head with the poster session. Each of us had to present a scientific poster to show the project we have been working on. The atmosphere there is what I imagine a scientific conference would look like. Plenty of people were going around and discussing their findings in one breath while inquiring about the others in the next. It was fascinating to see, and I think this is one of the core principles of science: to share your work and find out about others’. This exchange of ideas at the poster session crystallized something I had been gradually realizing throughout my time in this course – that no piece of research exists in isolation.
Science is inherently collaborative, a truth that became increasingly evident during my time with BIO299. Even in my focused work on otolith measurements, I quickly realized that my research was just one piece of a much larger scientific puzzle. The data I collected would eventually contribute to broader understandings of fish growth and population dynamics, which in turn inform marine conservation and fisheries management. This interconnectedness extends beyond just research outcomes—the methodologies I learned were developed by generations of scientists before me, and the equipment I used represented decades of technological innovation. Perhaps most importantly, I learned that no scientist truly works alone. Every discovery builds on previous knowledge, every paper acknowledges multiple contributors, and every breakthrough requires the support of an entire academic community. This collaborative spirit, which permeated every aspect of my research experience, is what ultimately makes science both resilient and revolutionary, and I personally think that is incredible.
For students who follow in taking BIO299, know that this course offers more than a glimpse into laboratory techniques—it provides a window into the scientific community you may one day join. The frustrations and triumphs you’ll experience mirror the authentic research process, complete with its uncertainties and collaborative spirit. Whether research becomes your chosen path or not, you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for how scientific knowledge is created and shared.
Though demanding at times, the course equipped me with technical skills, professional knowledge, and personal insights that will serve me well beyond my university years. Research may not be the right path for everyone, but BIO299 ensures you’ll make that decision based on genuine experience rather than assumptions about what research life entails.