hey guys i need help with choosing a major :)

[nablus]

hey guys. im new here im a freshman at university of maryland college park right now. i have 26 AP credits from high school, so technically, by the end of this semester, ill have 40 credits...meaning im a sophomore lol

newayz, ive been reading ur forum alot and i have to say that all of u guys are really helpful. but i finally registered and heres my first post. i have a question guys...i have no clue what i want to major in. like i was thinking of majoring in psychology and education and doing the pre dental requirements (i wanna be an orthodontist...braces rock! lol) what do u guys think about psych and education? like will dental schools ask me why i majored in education but i wanna be a dentist? see the reason i wanna get a degree in education is because i know i want to teach when i am older, like in my 50's and stuff. life will be near its end by then and it would be nice to dedicate the rest of my years educating God's children...the future of humanity u know? so what do u guys think about that?

also, i have credit from high school ap bio for biology 1. so i still have to take chem 1 and 2, physics 1 and 2, and orgo 1 and 2 for my pre dental requirements. i was thinking of taking chem 1 next semester, finish chem 2 over the first summer session at community college near my house, then take physics 1 and 2 next year, and orgo the following summer at community college near my house. what do u guys think? and i might fit in a bio class next year or junior year...either cell bio or microbio...whicheva one is better (which is better? lol)

ok guys thanks for the help. take care. ill be a normal member of this board now.

ramadan mubarak to any muslims out there

~nablus

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[DesiDentist]

nablus,

welcome to SDN. There is no "right" major for dental school. I would suggest taking a diverse course load and see what you like. Do something that interests you rather than something that may interest dental schools. Actually, I know many schools, includin UPENN love seeing applicants with diverse majors. I know languages are a big impressor with the dental schools.

Hope this helps,

DesiDentist

 

[Hysteria24]

It looks like you have it together. Just pick something that you like, and that you will do well in. The worst thing would be picking something you think dental schools will be impressed with and then doing poorly because it's not something you enjoy. Your Psych and education will be just fine and you could actually put a dental twist on it. Possibly using the education to help educate your patients about proper oral health. Also you'll learn a lot about people and social interactions in Psych classes that you never really thought about before, and could come in handy when runnign your practice. (I'm a psych minor and those are my favorite classes).

 

[Comet208]

As its been said already, go with what you want and at the same time complete the pre-dent requirements. i am a bio major at umass Amherst and they actually discourage us from majoring in pre-dental (just in case we dont get in.. such major would be a huge disadvantage then..)

i LOVE physiology, and if i had to sart all over, i would major in Exercise Science; it is much more applicable to the life of a health professional.

just my little 2 cents... good luck..

 

[Rovert]

Hey Nablus, I just noticed this thread and I thought I would respond. I am about to graduate (exactly one month from today!)from the University of Maryland with a degree in Neurobiology and Physiology. I'm really happy with this major, as I have had some great professors for my upperlevel bio classes. I switched to this major from chemical engineering halfway through my sophomore year. It is really not that big of a deal to switch majors as long as you aren't switching into one of the super-selective schools (engineering, computer science, etc). So, while you still have the time, try out as broad a range of classes as you possibly can. Don't even choose a major till after next semester. Considering how many AP credits you have, deciding a major later on shouldn't hurt you too much, if at all. I changed majors after taking a bunch of engineering classes that didn't count for any "core", and I had no AP credits whatsoever and I am only graduating one semester "late" (and common, who graduates in four years anyways!). My guess, though, is that you should have no trouble graduating in four years.

As far as your plans for your classes are considered I think you've got your act together pretty well. If you get a chance, meet with the pre-dental advisor, Dr. Ulrich, in the pre-health advising office (Its in the basement of Hornbake). At least e-mail him and let him know you exist. I didn't go meet with him until right before I started applying to dental schools. In retrospect I really wish I had met with him earlier just to get myself in the right mindset. Also, there is a predental society here. Goto the meetings, talk to people and learn about their experiences. I hope this advice helps you. If you need to know anything else from someone whose gone through something similar to what you are about to go through just ask away. Good luck!