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They've processed fluids using nuclear magnetic resonance. They've applied physics to examine blood splatter. They've fired guns to show the distinctive markings left on bullets. No, these aren't actors on CSI: New York or the popular CSI and CSI: Miami standbys. They're college students hoping to become forensic scientists, and they take their work very seriously.

Their first lesson: Crime scene work is nothing like what you see during prime time.

Toughened Up
"New students have a misconception from watching CSI that you get to wear Armani and solve crime in an hour," says Diana Urena, a senior at Pace University (New York, NY). It's far more difficult than that, she insists. If you're thinking of studying forensic science in college, be prepared to work hard.

Luis Moncayo, a senior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (New York, NY), was astonished to learn many science classes were involved (especially since he didn't like science in high school). Jeff Suckow, a Pace junior, says he takes the same biology, chemistry, and math classes as pre-med students.

Jeff spends 11 hours per week in the lab. Add to that his class hours and the heavy reading, and he feels like the other majors have it easy, especially when he sees his friends hanging out playing Madden. The lab work won't go away, either. Although forensic scientists can work in the field, most states still send police officers with basic forensic training out to collect the samples, which they hand over to scientists in the lab for processing.

Antoinette Guzman, a senior at John Jay, has started receiving lab assignments from her professors that mirror the kind she'd get in the real world.

"It can take a month to do one lab," explains Antoinette, who says she spends about 20 hours in the lab each week. "If you're working in the lab, anything can be considered evidence. What you have in front of you is usually a minute amount. You can't waste anything. Once you've messed up, you've lost evidence."

Gross-Out Factor
Jeff says people assume he likes dead bodies when he tells them his major. Although that's not what attracted Diana to the field, she does admit that most people wouldn't have the guts to do the work. Joshua Harris, a junior at Pace, says, with just a little awe in his voice, that he worked with dead bodies during an internship, and Antoinette admits working with bodily fluids comes with the territory.

But forensic science also has multiple specialties, including ballistics (guns and bullets 101), toxicology (detecting poisons), and forensic microscopy (examining fibers, hair, or wood for clues).

Hard Evidence
Despite the fact that forensic science programs aren't easy, there are definite perks, like being able to use science to solve a mystery and using something inanimate to tell a story.

"In the lab, you're going to be receiving numerous kinds of evidence," Antoinette says. "I like the change. It's not the same thing every day. You're going to be learning every day."

As more police departments become aware of the importance of forensic work, demand for skilled professionals will likely increase. And best of all, thanks to the popular CSI TV shows, all your friends will think you have the coolest job in the world.

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