Comp Sci Math

[An Yong]

Hi,

I was curious if anyone here is a Computer Science and Math Major? I am not joking when I say that I am the only computer science pre-med at my school. I have only 1 friend who is a pre-med (and she is not really a close friend). I was just wondering if anyone feels this way.

Also, do any of you wish you chose another major that is more relevant (i.e. biochemistry or biology)?
Sometimes I wish I could just change majors... I always think at night why I even chose this major if I'll never use it ever again. Not only that, but these majors are so hard!!!! I study so much (I'm at the point that I do very little of anything else, which sadly includes extracurriculars) but I can never catch up. Not only that, but I'm such a slow and dim-witted person, it takes me 3 hours just to cover a couple of pages to understand whats going on in a textbook. It takes me 2 hours just to understand a proof of some theorem. Also, I must stay an extra year because all of the pre-requisites are electives for my majors. And of course, I'm worried because my GPA won't be goood enough due to all the these math courses (Funny, I was never good at math yet I'm a math major hehe)

Sorry, that was long-winded, I just needed to vent a little. Every semester now I have always taken atleast 3-4 science/math courses and am really starting to regret my choice in majors. I guess it just shows that it pays to do what YOU want and not what your family wants you to do.

Good Night.

p.s.

Any advice from comp sci/math majors on how to get through undergrad while still being able to get into med school would be helpful.

Here is my main problem:
There is so much work I dont have much time to do extracurriculars/volunteer... well atleast for me, I'm not a very quick learner so I must study so much (almost all free time) to get a good grade, how do I resolve this problem? Will med schools be understanding?

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[pocwana]

check us out:

any math majors out there....

 

[SMW]

You need to get out of this major you don't enjoy and into one you do where the good grades will come a little easier. Medschools won't understand low grades and/or no ECs. There is no extra credit for doing what your parents want you to do!!

 

[An Yong]

I wish I could... but I am almost 3/4 way through these majors. I dont think I could stand starting my undergrad all over again.

Its just that from this point on, my courses get infinitely tougher.

 

[SMW]

If you are this miserable now........Isn't there some major you could do that would utilize the courses you've already done with a little easier ending? If you're doing your major(s) to get into medical school, then I'd have to say the game plan is not working out.

 

[pocwana]

smw's right. do what you enjoy. a couple of extra years of doing something you like/love is much more beneficial than a begruding year of self-hatred and loathing.

i suggest you talk to your comp sci counselor. you might be able to work out a specialized major with something like chemistry because there can be a lot of math content in chemistry. where r u located?

 

[Polar girl]

If you really are barely getting by while spending all your time doing it, you need to change something. If the classes really bothered you that much, you could probably easily drop one of the majors, and just be a CS major or just a math major. There's no use in hurting the chances for your main goal in life (if that's what medicine is) for something you don't care about and will have no use for, no matter what family or others say.

At my school, there's usually a couple of CS majors and a couple of math majors who go to med school each year. I'm a math major now, but I am because I find math interesting and easy. It doesn't take up any more of my time than other classes.

Sometimes I do regret majoring in math, cause majoring in biology like everyone else does would be easier. Then pre-med classes would basically be a part of my major instead of extraneous classes. I would actually get to take some electives (I will end up with 1 actual elective, other than all my math/pre-med/core classes, and I already took it, not realizing it'd be my only elective). Most of my classes would be with tons of other pre-meds.

However, I'm still happy that I chose to major in math. I have enjoyed my major classes, and it has been worth it. I'm sorry that you are not in the same position.

 

[An Yong]

Wow I am glad that there are a lot of math majors. Atleast I do not feel so isolated anymore. I do enjoy math, its just I am not very good at it. Particularly discrete math (I am not good at proving things, it takes a creativity, none of which I possess) Oh as for dropping a major, its kind of irrelevant because its a special program, if I drop the math major it just means I have to take more Upper divisional CS classes (and I personally favor math over CS)

But for the math or cs majors, could anyone help explain combinatorics?

I am not sure which situations require the use of

P(n,r) := n!/(n-r)! <-- This one appears to be something like where you want to limit your choices. So if you have 9 choices and you want to compute permutations of only 5 of those 9.

or

N choose R := n!/r!(n-r)!

or

(some base) ^ Power (i.e. 2^5)

or


N + R - 1 Choose R


I.e. simple example:

Number of permutations in the word Computer is 8!

 

[CU_buffalo]

An Yong,

I completely understand where you're coming from. I'm majoring in Elect. Eng. and am applying to med school this year. During my freshman/sophomore years I literally studied 10+ hours a day just to keep my gpa up. I had absolutely no time for extracurriculars, research, etc. During my junior year I decided to make time and I took fewer classes and did research and volunteered. If you're having a hard time I recommend taking fewer classes and maybe take an extra year to graduate. Your grades will get better and you'll have time to think about what you really want out of life. Plenty of engineers from my school get into med school with 3.5 gpas and average mcats. I think most med schools understand the intellectual rigor that comes with an engineering degree. Good luck with everything.

 

[Gradient Echo]

I was electrical/computer engineering in college. I just wanted to say that it IS possible to use a comp sci/math background in medicine, say with a tech-heavy specialty like radiology. I work in an interventional radiology lab (mostly MRI) and I get to use my undergrad skills every day.