Learning Biology Beyond the Classroom:

The Science of Observation through Caring for Animals

| By William C Wang

When people find out that my family has birds, a corgi named Connie, fish, shrimp, and that my sister and I even raised four Call Ducks during the COVID-19 lockdown, they usually assume I simply love animals.

That's true—but it isn't the whole story.

At the time, I had no idea those experiences were teaching me something much more important than simply caring for pets. They were teaching me how to observe.

For as long as I can remember, I have been curious about small changes. I would notice when one of our birds became quieter than usual, when Connie seemed less energetic, or when the fish started swimming differently. At first, I didn't know why these changes happened. I simply wanted to understand them.

Without realizing it, I was already developing the habits of a biology student—observing carefully, recognizing patterns, and wanting to understand why.

Growing up, caring for animals became part of my daily routine rather than an occasional hobby. Feeding them was only one responsibility. I also cleaned their living spaces, checked their water, watched their behavior, and noticed when something seemed different.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, my sister and I incubated and raised four Call Ducks. Watching them hatch from eggs and grow over the following weeks was one of the most fascinating experiences I've had. Every day brought small changes that were easy to miss unless I paid close attention.

Those moments taught me that careful observation is often the first step toward understanding how living things grow, adapt, and stay healthy.

As I got older, I started connecting these experiences to what I was learning in school. Biology helped explain many of the questions I had wondered about for years. Instead of simply noticing changes, I began asking what was happening inside a living organism and why.

That curiosity continued to grow beyond the classroom. During my internship in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs at a pharmaceutical company, I saw how careful observation, accurate records, and scientific evidence work together to ensure the safety and quality of products. More recently, while working on a student research project about medication awareness among adolescent athletes, I discovered another side of biology—how scientific knowledge can help people make safer and healthier decisions.

Today, I understand that the same habit of careful observation extends far beyond caring for animals. It is fundamental to scientific research and to understanding the complex connections between biology and human health. Whether scientists are studying living systems, evaluating the safety of health products, or improving health education, meaningful progress often begins with careful observation. That understanding continues to shape the way I approach biology and motivates me to explore how scientific discoveries can help people make healthier decisions.