Biology vs. Chemistry vs. Neuroscience Majors

[zenythz]

Hey guys,

I need to start deciding what I should major in for my undergraduate, and this seems like a good forum to ask. Right now, I've narrowed it down to Chemistry, Biology, and Neuroscience:
- Now, I've always been a "chem student" in high school (as in I slept through most of AP Chem whilst maintaining 95+ grades), but people are telling me that it is one of the hardest majors in college. In general, I love the nice mixture of logic/reasoning that is involved with chemistry.
- I'm good at Biology, but I would rather drill a hole in my head and slowly bleed to death than study it for 4 years . I dunno...it's just not very interesting to me.
- Neuroscience I don't know much about, but I've heard it's psychology and biology mixed together. It seems like a really interesting major, but I have no idea how difficult it is.

So any suggestions/comments about these 3 majors? (Oh and to all you bio majors: no disrespect, eh? )

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[Rendar5]

You like chemistry, you don't like biology. So take chemistry as your major. It's what I did. Sure you're gonna have difficulty with either organic chemistry or physical chemistry unless you're one of those rare chemists who's equally interested and good at both. (I was a much stronger physical chemist, so my orgo grades weren't so hot).

Honestly, it's 4 years of your life, do something you find interesting and will actually have the drive to do decently in.

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

Hey guys,

I need to start deciding what I should major in for my undergraduate, and this seems like a good forum to ask. Right now, I've narrowed it down to Chemistry, Biology, and Neuroscience:
- Now, I've always been a "chem student" in high school (as in I slept through most of AP Chem whilst maintaining 95+ grades), but people are telling me that it is one of the hardest majors in college. In general, I love the nice mixture of logic/reasoning that is involved with chemistry.
- I'm good at Biology, but I would rather drill a hole in my head and slowly bleed to death than study it for 4 years . I dunno...it's just not very interesting to me.
- Neuroscience I don't know much about, but I've heard it's psychology and biology mixed together. It seems like a really interesting major, but I have no idea how difficult it is.

So any suggestions/comments about these 3 majors? (Oh and to all you bio majors: no disrespect, eh? )

Do Chemical Engineering instead of Chemistry. If you dont happen to get into med school, chemical engineers start out at 70k whereas chemists start out at 35k. Not only that, engineering will help your MCAT scores.

 

[armybound]

nsc reprezent

 

[theacks1]

If you think you'll love Chem, major in Chem. If you're not being challenged, what's the point?

I was a cell bio & Neuro major, and at my school the Neuro classes were intensely bio oriented with little Psych to it. YMMV. In any case, assuming that you are looking at Medicine, you will be taking Gen Chem, Orgo, and Gen Bio, letting you take additional upper level classes in Chem and Bio offshoots (Cell Bio, Mol Bio, Biochem, Neuro, Genetics, etc.) that might interest you, with plenty of credits left over. I took plenty of 300 and 400 level classes outside my major I thought were interresting. And certainly, these subjects overlap a lot once you start getting up there.

 

[LXS17]

What about (chemistry-based) Biochemistry? Basically, you take mostly chemistry classes and a few essential bio classes (genetics, cell bio etc) Make sure its chem-based though, some schools offer a Biochemistry major that's heavily bio-based.

I can say with confidence that Biochem really helped me out on the MCAT. I got a 15 in the BS section despite the fact that I only spent like 4 weeks cramming for it.

But if you want an easier 4.0, don't do any of the 3. Major in something like philosophy w/ a minor in Bio and take all the pre-reqs.

 

[ProtonatedAlchy]

I recently switched from Biochem to Neurophys, considered a switch to an easier major at my university. I found upper level chems to be more analytical and math based, while upper level biologies are pretty much the same as the intros: tons of memorization. Neurophys is a bit more indepth at the cellular level (a lotta voltages and such), but far far more biology based than chemistry based.

 

[smsc2009]

Hey guys,

I need to start deciding what I should major in for my undergraduate, and this seems like a good forum to ask. Right now, I've narrowed it down to Chemistry, Biology, and Neuroscience:
- Now, I've always been a "chem student" in high school (as in I slept through most of AP Chem whilst maintaining 95+ grades), but people are telling me that it is one of the hardest majors in college. In general, I love the nice mixture of logic/reasoning that is involved with chemistry.
- I'm good at Biology, but I would rather drill a hole in my head and slowly bleed to death than study it for 4 years . I dunno...it's just not very interesting to me.
- Neuroscience I don't know much about, but I've heard it's psychology and biology mixed together. It seems like a really interesting major, but I have no idea how difficult it is.

So any suggestions/comments about these 3 majors? (Oh and to all you bio majors: no disrespect, eh? )

I've always been told to major in something you enjoy for your undergrad degree, if you enjoy Chemistry then major in Chemistry. If you want to major in something else that you enjoy (like History) you can too, as long as you complete the medical school prereqs. I am majoring in Political Science but plan on completing the prereqs and applying. FWIW, my father was a Chemistry undergrad major and did well in medical school, that being said, you can find Music majors that went on to medical school and did well too. It all depends on what you're interested in.

 

[FuturaDocta]

Hey guys,

I need to start deciding what I should major in for my undergraduate, and this seems like a good forum to ask. Right now, I've narrowed it down to Chemistry, Biology, and Neuroscience:
- Now, I've always been a "chem student" in high school (as in I slept through most of AP Chem whilst maintaining 95+ grades), but people are telling me that it is one of the hardest majors in college. In general, I love the nice mixture of logic/reasoning that is involved with chemistry.
- I'm good at Biology, but I would rather drill a hole in my head and slowly bleed to death than study it for 4 years . I dunno...it's just not very interesting to me.
- Neuroscience I don't know much about, but I've heard it's psychology and biology mixed together. It seems like a really interesting major, but I have no idea how difficult it is.

So any suggestions/comments about these 3 majors? (Oh and to all you bio majors: no disrespect, eh? )

You obviously are more chem oriented. There are people like this in college as well :gasp:. Since you seem to be one of those chem wizzes, why not be a chem major. It is hard, but if you like it, do it. The bio oriented people (like me) are probably the one's telling you that a chem major is hard.

 

[DrDre2001]

?

Nobody finds it strange that the OP wants to eventually go to medical school, yet he/she doesn't like bio classes (and would "rather bleed to death than study it for 4 years")?

 

[musafirah]

you sound EXACTLY like me. i skipped AP chem all the time or slept but got 5 on the exam without trying.. and im not too fond of bio (mostly because why should i sit through a class when i can just as easily just read that info in the book? i wish bio had way more lab in the classes)


in college i discovered i was only good at chem because chemistry is just a branch of physics. i was really into the HOW and WHY, not balancing equations and ****.

so i majored in physics. i learned chemistry the way it should be, from the very start - through thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. then i picked up biomedical physics double-major to learn biology in a way that suits me, and i'm SO HAPPY.
you might find you enjoy physics as well. try it out

 

[smsc2009]

?

Nobody finds it strange that the OP wants to eventually go to medical school, yet he/she doesn't like bio classes (and would "rather bleed to death than study it for 4 years")?

haha, I said that to myself when I saw that too. You do not need to love Biology in order to be a good physician though. It takes a lot more than just wanting to study science to be a physician, you know what I am saying?

 

[texahn]

I'm neuro.

It's worth it.

 

[zenythz]

?

Nobody finds it strange that the OP wants to eventually go to medical school, yet he/she doesn't like bio classes (and would "rather bleed to death than study it for 4 years")?

My grades in AP Biology were 97, 93, and 96 with an AP score of 5...but the class took "boring" to new limits for me.

My point is that it's one thing to enjoy something and another to do something because you need to. If I needed to, I'm sure I could somehow manage to pull through college bio with a decent GPA, but I would hate every minute of it. But it annoys me when people say that bio is much easier in college than chem, because now I'm faced with two options: difficult major I like or easy major I despise (but could pull through if necessary). But yeah, Dr. Dre, I suppose my choice profession is ironic .

 

[greatnt249]

?

Nobody finds it strange that the OP wants to eventually go to medical school, yet he/she doesn't like bio classes (and would "rather bleed to death than study it for 4 years")?

Majoring in biology often requires you to take classes that don't seem at all relevant to what you will ultimately be doing in the long run. I really had no interest in being forced to take invertebrate zoology and comparative anatomy, but I liked learning chemistry as it pertained to living systems, so I went ahead with biochemistry instead.

 

[ar2388]

if chem is your thing, do chem.
i did chemistry in HS (was a chem major; weird HS with majors) and i was a chem major in college and i loved it! pchem isnt too hard esp if you have a brain for chem and math.
and to be honest, looking at the stuff i need to learn for medical school, i am really really happy that i was a chem major.. it seems like i will have a much easier time with the underlying concepts because so many are just chemistry like acid-base neutralization

 

[Rendar5]

courses you take as a bio major, biochem major, and chem major bear little in common wiht classes you take in med school. Sure some of the basis of these sciences are in medicine, but overall, I've applied extremely little of my chemistry and bio classes to med school, and did just fine not taking any biochem compared with the students who had taken biochem. Those classes really are just for pre-reqs and one's personal interests, and interest in those subjects doesn't bear much resemblance to interest in medicine.

 

[ar2388]

i also agree that i would rather bleed to death than be a bio major ... just not my thing.. and i couldnt care less about plants and kingdoms and all that nonsense..

 

[reedman]

I agree with the idea of doing chem or biochem engineering.

 

[zenythz]

.. and i couldnt care less about plants and kingdoms and all that nonsense..

Exactly. My area of interest is logic and reasoning, neither of which is required nor used much in biology. Biology is very similar to History in my opinion due to the emphasis on read-memorize-regurgitate pattern. Whereas in Chemistry, Physics, etc., there's more emphasis on learning a certain method and then applying it logically to various situations.

 

[willie0120]

To the OP...Just major in chemistry If it's what you enjoy doing. Remember you need to have a competitive GPA to get into Med. School and it seems like chemistry comes easy to you, so just go for it.

 

[UnfeatyOblation]

Why would you want to study something you hate? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[DrDre2001]

My grades in AP Biology were 97, 93, and 96 with an AP score of 5...but the class took "boring" to new limits for me.

My point is that it's one thing to enjoy something and another to do something because you need to. If I needed to, I'm sure I could somehow manage to pull through college bio with a decent GPA, but I would hate every minute of it. But it annoys me when people say that bio is much easier in college than chem, because now I'm faced with two options: difficult major I like or easy major I despise (but could pull through if necessary). But yeah, Dr. Dre, I suppose my choice profession is ironic .

Oh cool.

I guess my (I am a biochemistry major) chem classes have indeed been harder than my bio classes. So you know what? Because me and apparently a bunch of other people see chemistry as being harder, you will benefit because the grades are usually on a curve and you said chemistry comes easy to you.

So, the majority of people will be struggling with the material while you might not be. And this can allow you to be on top of the curve and get better grades. And all this will be going on while you are studying the subject that you are more interested in anyway.

 

[DendWrite]

But if you want an easier 4.0, don't do any of the 3. Major in something like philosophy w/ a minor in Bio and take all the pre-reqs.

Have you studied Kant?

To the OP: Seriously, go with what you are most interested in. I'm more of a chemistry person myself, but ultimately, chem / bio / neuroscience are pretty interrelated, and it's highly unlikely choosing one over the other will keep you out of med school -- what _will_ keep you out of med school is getting a low GPA in a major you are uninterested in but think you need to take to impress an adcom.

 

[njbmd]

Hey guys,

I need to start deciding what I should major in for my undergraduate, and this seems like a good forum to ask. Right now, I've narrowed it down to Chemistry, Biology, and Neuroscience:
- Now, I've always been a "chem student" in high school (as in I slept through most of AP Chem whilst maintaining 95+ grades), but people are telling me that it is one of the hardest majors in college. In general, I love the nice mixture of logic/reasoning that is involved with chemistry.
- I'm good at Biology, but I would rather drill a hole in my head and slowly bleed to death than study it for 4 years . I dunno...it's just not very interesting to me.
- Neuroscience I don't know much about, but I've heard it's psychology and biology mixed together. It seems like a really interesting major, but I have no idea how difficult it is.

So any suggestions/comments about these 3 majors? (Oh and to all you bio majors: no disrespect, eh? )

Major in what you love and what you can do best in. Your performance is what counts not the subject matter of your major. After you get the pre-med prereqs out of the way, you can do what you like and what you can perform best in. Your overall uGPA is one of the main criteria for admission to medical school and not the subject matter of your major.

 

[URHere]

It sounds to me as if you prefer chem...but I would suggest that you hold off on choosing a major until you have taken gen chem, gen bio, and a standard intro to neuroscience class. What you loved in high school may not equate to what you will love in college, and there's no reason to jump the gun on choosing a major.

On a tangentially related note...neuro majors are different from school to school. At some schools, they are a mix of bio and psych...at other schools there is no psych whatsoever - only classes on neurochem, neurodevelopment, neuroelectrics, neurophysiology, neuroinflammation, etc...Figure out which way your school does it before you make a choice about neuro.