Should I double Major in Chemistry & Biology?? Help please.

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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skyisthelimit17

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I am new to this site. But I hope someone can shed some light on double majoring.
Currently, I am a sophomore at Merrimack college. I have been thinking about double majoring incase I don't get in to veterinary school. I am currently a biology major, but I find I like chemistry as well. If I don't get in to medical school, I want something to fall back on. I am really interested in the production of fireworks and I feel like that would be a find career to fall back on.

I planned out the scheduale and it does not seem hard at all. A few of my professors tell me not to do it and just do the traditional biochem route. But I need prereqs. for veterinary school anyways. So if I were to double major it would be only a few extra classes anyways. Right now, my education is pretty much paid for and I have a scholarship for the ext four years. I will not continue after Merrimack, so I want to get as much education as possible. I don't want to go back and get another major in chemistry is veterinary/medical school does not work out.

I am not doing this to increase my chances into veterinary school. I am doing this for other possible careers.

This would be my scheduale:

Summer 2015
Physics 1 and 2
Volunteer at local animal shelter on the weekends & and a two week externship at a veterinary clinic (not during summer course period).

fall 2015
Cellular Bio chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Calc II
GEN ED

Winter 2015
GEN ED

Spring 2016
Cell Bio
Inorganic Chemistry
Calc III
GEN ED


Summer 2016
Intro to Biology II (retaking because they messed up with our freshman class and gave everyone BIO II firstas an experiment to see if they needed to be taken in order)

Internship (counts as a Biology elective)



Fall 2016
anatomy and physiology I
Physical Chemistry I
Stats
__(spot left if I need it)__________


Spring 2017
Physical Chemistry II
Biology elective
Chemistry elective
__(spot left if I need it)___________

What do you think of this scheduale? I have been taking two science courses, a math, and a GEN ED for the past two years. It is honestly pretty easy for me. I don't want to hear "you wont have a social life" or "whats the point". I want to know what is your opinion academically. I think I planned it out nicely and I will still graduate on time. I don't see what the big deal is really.
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Well, the problem is we have no idea the rigor of the courses you listed at your particular school. So, it's hard to tell. Overall, though, I think it looks like any basic STEM courseload. Slightly light, even. Shouldn't be a problem.

However, if you are double majoring just for career options.....a better use of your time might be working on the side and getting to know people in the fields (i.e. bio and chem). A person with experience and, most importantly, connections will trump a person with an extra subject listed on their diploma nowadays.
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
Well, the problem is we have no idea the rigor of the courses you listed at your particular school. So, it's hard to tell. Overall, though, I think it looks like any basic STEM courseload. Slightly light, even. Shouldn't be a problem.

However, if you are double majoring just for career options.....a better use of your time might be working on the side and getting to know people in the fields (i.e. bio and chem). A person with experience and, most importantly, connections will trump a person with an extra subject listed on their diploma nowadays.
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Thank you for your input. All of my classes will be four credit courses. Almost all classes offered at my school are four credits. The science courses are MWF for 50 mins plus a 3 hour lab once a week. The math classes meet on tuesday and thursdays for an hour and 50 mins on fridays.
I have heard that most of the classes are easy. They depend on the professor. I also have heard that the physical chemistry course is extremely tough. That is the only one I am worried about.

I know making connections is important, but I also feel that understanding chemistry will open up other possibilities.
 
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Honestly, first of all you'd probably be better off posting in the Pre-veterinary forum.

Second of all, none of us will really be able to answer that question for you. If you think you can handle the course load, then maybe you can. Each person is different and has their own threshold for what they can handle or not, not to mention how each school is different and each class is different as far as rigor and time input required.

My biggest piece of advice would be to make sure you not only can handle the course load, but can excel. It's not enough to just be able to pass all of your courses, you need to do well in them as well in order to maintain a competitive GPA for applications.

I'd also suggest getting some exposure to both human and vet med. They are two very different fields and at least for vet med you'll need experience hours as well to back up your application. It will be more helpful to you to experience them both firsthand and get a feel for which you prefer to pursue.
 
kcoughli said:
Honestly, first of all you'd probably be better off posting in the Pre-veterinary forum.

Second of all, none of us will really be able to answer that question for you. If you think you can handle the course load, then maybe you can. Each person is different and has their own threshold for what they can handle or not, not to mention how each school is different and each class is different as far as rigor and time input required.

My biggest piece of advice would be to make sure you not only can handle the course load, but can excel. It's not enough to just be able to pass all of your courses, you need to do well in them as well in order to maintain a competitive GPA for applications.

I'd also suggest getting some exposure to both human and vet med. They are two very different fields and at least for vet med you'll need experience hours as well to back up your application. It will be more helpful to you to experience them both firsthand and get a feel for which you prefer to pursue.
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Thanks. I tried posting this in the pre-veterinary forum but I could figure it out. This is my first day being on this website.
 
I am new to this site. But I hope someone can shed some light on double majoring.
Currently, I am a sophomore at Merrimack college. I have been thinking about double majoring incase I don't get in to veterinary school. I am currently a biology major, but I find I like chemistry as well. If I don't get in to medical school, I want something to fall back on. I am really interested in the production of fireworks and I feel like that would be a find career to fall back on.

I planned out the scheduale and it does not seem hard at all. A few of my professors tell me not to do it and just do the traditional biochem route. But I need prereqs. for veterinary school anyways. So if I were to double major it would be only a few extra classes anyways. Right now, my education is pretty much paid for and I have a scholarship for the ext four years. I will not continue after Merrimack, so I want to get as much education as possible. I don't want to go back and get another major in chemistry is veterinary/medical school does not work out.

I am not doing this to increase my chances into veterinary school. I am doing this for other possible careers.

This would be my scheduale:

Summer 2015
Physics 1 and 2
Volunteer at local animal shelter on the weekends & and a two week externship at a veterinary clinic (not during summer course period).

fall 2015
Cellular Bio chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Calc II
GEN ED

Winter 2015
GEN ED

Spring 2016
Cell Bio
Inorganic Chemistry
Calc III
GEN ED


Summer 2016
Intro to Biology II (retaking because they messed up with our freshman class and gave everyone BIO II firstas an experiment to see if they needed to be taken in order)

Internship (counts as a Biology elective)



Fall 2016
anatomy and physiology I
Physical Chemistry I
Stats
__(spot left if I need it)__________


Spring 2017
Physical Chemistry II
Biology elective
Chemistry elective
__(spot left if I need it)___________

What do you think of this scheduale? I have been taking two science courses, a math, and a GEN ED for the past two years. It is honestly pretty easy for me. I don't want to hear "you wont have a social life" or "whats the point". I want to know what is your opinion academically. I think I planned it out nicely and I will still graduate on time. I don't see what the big deal is really.

Has anyone on this website done it?
 
That doesn't look that bad.

Just do what you want. It won't matter to vet schools which way you do it as long as you get the prerequisite courses done and do well.

Is chemistry the major to have if you want to... make fireworks? That almost seems more like a trade, where you would have to get in with someone that does it and train with them... definitely not something I have ever thought about very hard.
 
Really the only difference between biochemistry and regular chemistry is that one covers more of the organic things, while the other covers more of the inorganic things. So it really just depends on your preference and what you think you might like to do. I personally don't see the benefit of a double major if both are in chemistry. In either case, your going to have to do graduate level work if you want to do anything in your field other than be a lab tech. I would rather spend the time and money on the grad level work, versus extra undergrad courses.
 
Gemgrrrl said:
Really the only difference between biochemistry and regular chemistry is that one covers more of the organic things, while the other covers more of the inorganic things. So it really just depends on your preference and what you think you might like to do. I personally don't see the benefit of a double major if both are in chemistry. In either case, your going to have to do graduate level work if you want to do anything in your field other than be a lab tech. I would rather spend the time and money on the grad level work, versus extra undergrad courses.
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Sorry I want to double major in chemistry and biology. Not biochem and chemistry. And most of my undergraduate is paid for so it really wouldn't be any extra money.
 
twelvetigers said:
That doesn't look that bad.

Just do what you want. It won't matter to vet schools which way you do it as long as you get the prerequisite courses done and do well.

Is chemistry the major to have if you want to... make fireworks? That almost seems more like a trade, where you would have to get in with someone that does it and train with them... definitely not something I have ever thought about very hard.
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I would think if you wanted to work in a lab and make fireworks, you would need to know chemistry..
 
skyisthelimit17 said:
Sorry I want to double major in chemistry and biology. Not biochem and chemistry. And most of my undergraduate is paid for so it really wouldn't be any extra money.
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so a double major probably isnt worth the extra hassle, unless you are literally already taking the same courses. double major = 1 degree with the 2nd major on your transcript. no one looks at that (except grad schools, and even then i dont think they care much). however, if you can dual degree without too much trouble, that would definitely look good. when i was in undergrad, it was only 30 extra credits for me to get a second degree (biology and psychology)
skyisthelimit17 said:
I would think if you wanted to work in a lab and make fireworks, you would need to know chemistry..
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part of me thinks this is a chem degree field, but part of me thinks this would actually fall under chemical engineering. have you looked into what is specifically required? a very brief google search found a bunch of technical, non-degree requiring jobs.
 
Gemgrrrl said:
I love how cavalier people are with other people's money.
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for what its worth, in this particular instance, it probably wouldnt really cost anything extra. there is so much overlap in these fields, and often times electives can cross count. but in general, yes it is interesting. though as someone who didnt have to grow up thinking about money, it probably would have never crossed my mind either to think about it that much
 
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jmo1012 said:
for what its worth, in this particular instance, it probably wouldnt really cost anything extra. there is so much overlap in these fields, and often times electives can cross count. but in general, yes it is interesting. though as someone who didnt have to grow up thinking about money, it probably would have never crossed my mind either to think about it that much
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At my undergrad university, pursuing a double major in bio and chemistry would cost about the same as the first two semesters of graduate courses. To me, the grad level courses are a better investment. I guess if I never had to worry about how things got paid for it wouldn't concern me, but that's a totally foreign concept to me.
 
WildZoo said:
In fact, OP specifically stated they have a 4 year scholarship
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You're right, she did. I stand corrected. I guess, because I have never been in a position where I didn't have worry how things are getting paid for, it's easy for me to get my hackles up on this issue.
 
Gemgrrrl said:
You're right, she did. I stand corrected. I guess, because I have never been in a position where I didn't have worry how things are getting paid for, it's easy for me to get my hackles up on this issue.
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That's completely understandable. Perhaps because I went through undergrad on a scholarship, that's what my mind went to when sky said it was paid for (and then I checked the first post to see if she had mentioned it). No big deal really.

Sky, I agree with jmo that if you can do the dual degree and do well in it, it could be worth it. I was asked about my dual degree in interviews because it's not something they see all the time. Your schedule doesn't look like too much to me. 3 science courses at once can be rough, but if you're not taking many or any other classes it is definitely doable. I don't know how much your scholarship covers, but mine was full tuition up to 18 credits per semester, so my view on that was to get as much out of it as I could.
 
Hey! I had multiple majors/minors in undergrad, and the best advice I can give is to do it for one of these reasons:
1. You truly enjoy learning about both subjects. Sometimes enjoying a subject can make that tough class much more bearable.
2. You will not be completely overwhelmed by the extra credits (especially if financially, you need to graduate it four years). Even though rigorous schedules can help prepare you for further education, ease into it gently, and get the hang of it! Also, take the time to get some life experiences... work at a few different internships and jobs, meet people and network, etc. College should be a time you learn about yourself and further develop your interests :)
3. You don't need multiple majors to apply for veterinary school. Take courses that fulfill the requirements, and will help you develop a broader knowledge basis. Also, there are many factors involved in a successful application, but if multiple degrees will significantly pull down your grades, perhaps re-consider as you go along. I know at my school, you could declare extra majors, and if you didn't complete the coursework, it just wouldnt be awarded as a degree when you graduated. In essence, no risk in declaring it.

On a side note, I'm glad someone else likes chemistry here! And I applaud you for all the math/physics you will be taking (not exactly my forte) :)
 
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I would stick with just chemistry and add the prereqs on top of your chem coursework. It'll be cheaper in the long run and unless you want to do something with both chemistry and biology (don't know much about fireworks but I don't imagine them having much biology in them :p) then it's not worth it to complete the biology degree. You'll get more than enough credits for a biology minor if you want that, but if your school is like mine, you'd have to take a bunch of biology electives for the bachelors, which equates to more money spent. On the other hand, you can tailor your biology electives to prepare you more for vet school (taking anatomy, parasitology, virology, etc.) but most vet students say that you don't need them because vet school will teach you what you need to know. So it basically comes down to money and you'll be spending/borrowing a lot more of that if you go the medicine route so I'd opt to save it.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
He/she posted one in Pre-Vet and one in the Vet forums, which was then transferred to Pre-Vet. Hopefully the mods will merge them.
 
I double majored in Biology and Chemistry pretty much for the same reasons... I started as a Biology major and then found out I really liked Chemistry and made it my back-up plan in case I didn't get into vet school. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! I love the fact that I had to take extra chemistry classes and it has really helped me so far in vet school with understanding a lot of things that my classmates have trouble with because they didn't go that heavy in chemistry in undergrad. It's also just cool if you ask me :) I say go for it!
 
Gemgrrrl said:
You're right, she did. I stand corrected. I guess, because I have never been in a position where I didn't have worry how things are getting paid for, it's easy for me to get my hackles up on this issue.
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Its okay. I don't come from money at all. I was very fortunate to revive a four year scholarship that covers tuition. I had to move off campus because I could not afford housing. I plan on giving back to the scholarship foundations who helped get me through college. I appreciate what they did for me and I could not afford college without them. I wish more students had this opportunity. But the world is not made of money. The extra classes over the summer and winter would come from my pocket. The scholarship money would be exactly the same. In fact at my school you can take up to six courses a semester for no extra money. I would never ask the scholarship committee for more money. I just figured I might as well take as many classes I can for the same money. Some students on scholarships take three classes a semester and let the fourth course go to waste.
 
allygator13 said:
I double majored in Biology and Chemistry pretty much for the same reasons... I started as a Biology major and then found out I really liked Chemistry and made it my back-up plan in case I didn't get into vet school. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! I love the fact that I had to take extra chemistry classes and it has really helped me so far in vet school with understanding a lot of things that my classmates have trouble with because they didn't go that heavy in chemistry in undergrad. It's also just cool if you ask me :) I say go for it!
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Did it help you get into vet school? It would only be a few 5 extra douses for me to take. I am currently a biology major and I have a chem minor. I would have to take extra courses to have enough credits to graduate. Personally I would not want to take them in something like basket weaving or art ( I do love art though). I find these extra courses to be beneficial towards my education.
 
skyisthelimit17 said:
Did it help you get into vet school? It would only be a few 5 extra douses for me to take. I am currently a biology major and I have a chem minor. I would have to take extra courses to have enough credits to graduate. Personally I would not want to take them in something like basket weaving or art ( I do love art though). I find these extra courses to be beneficial towards my education.
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I don't think it particularly helped me... It may have helped me to stand out and all the US schools I did file reviews with said that my academics were really strong so that could have been a contributing factor. I personally just thought it would be a really cool thing to have since it wasn't that many extra classes for me to take and I'm really happy that I did it.
 
At my undergrad you only needed to take 2 extra classes to have a bio/chem double major; p-chem and anal chem. I considered it, but decided I didn't want to risk doing poorly in those two subjects. If you think you could handle to the classes and still do well and have time for internships, then I don't really see the harm in having a double major, though it certainly isn't necessary.
 
Jilary said:
At my undergrad you only needed to take 2 extra classes to have a bio/chem double major; p-chem and anal chem. I considered it, but decided I didn't want to risk doing poorly in those two subjects. If you think you could handle to the classes and still do well and have time for internships, then I don't really see the harm in having a double major, though it certainly isn't necessary.
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:eek: Why would anyone want to take that class??
 
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Jilary said:
At my undergrad you only needed to take 2 extra classes to have a bio/chem double major; p-chem and anal chem. I considered it, but decided I didn't want to risk doing poorly in those two subjects. If you think you could handle to the classes and still do well and have time for internships, then I don't really see the harm in having a double major, though it certainly isn't necessary.
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That is a good point, definitely consider the grades you could possibly get in higher chem classes since GPA is a huge part of getting into vet school. I actually did better in my chemistry classes than my biology classes since I'm better with numbers than with words, but obviously that's different for everyone
 
jmo1012 said:
Pchem and achem are 1000x worse than ochem, so anyone that doesn't like that sort of stuff beware and stay away!
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I disagree haha. They're completely different, so depending on how your mind works you could think the opposite.
 
jmo1012 said:
you could, but most people i know who are biological science-y minded find this level of chemistry tough and unpleasant.
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Yeah I could see that. That's why I said earlier I'm better with numbers than words so I did better in my chem classes than my bio ones :p Although I also really enjoyed orgo and apparently that's rare as it is so I'm probably just a huge weirdo
 
allygator13 said:
Yeah I could see that. That's why I said earlier I'm better with numbers than words so I did better in my chem classes than my bio ones :p Although I also really enjoyed orgo and apparently that's rare as it is so I'm probably just a huge weirdo
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She's a witch!
 
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allygator13 said:
Yeah I could see that. That's why I said earlier I'm better with numbers than words so I did better in my chem classes than my bio ones :p Although I also really enjoyed orgo and apparently that's rare as it is so I'm probably just a huge weirdo
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i dont think i loved ochem, but i dont think i hated it with the firey burning passion some people do (if i did it wasn't significant enough to make a lasting memory haha). i didn't take pchem (was rumored to be one of the very worst and very hardest classes at my undergrad) but i very nearly failed achem for my chem minor. i just needed one more 3 credit chem class for the minor, and instead of just letting me count my biochem course, a chemist told me "oh, you're going to vet school? you should DEFINITELY take achem then, because it will REALLY help you in vet school." biggest lie i've ever been told. bigger than santa claus. i have never once used achem a day in my life, and i'm pretty sure the only people who do are chemists and chemical engineers...LIES. (i'm still bitter and angry, can you tell?)
 
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