How different was your major by the time you graduated?

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@Matthew9Thirtyfive do you read Abstruse Goose?
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Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
You got pretty far then. That's something. Real analysis was one of my three favorite courses.
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Well the ChemE major required me to get a pretty good distance but that class was a grind (at least w/ the prof who taught it).

freak7 said:
Real analysis II is way better than I. You just have to get through I and then coast for II
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Haha I heard that but didn't want my grades slipping too far due to the second major.
 
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eteshoe said:
Well the ChemE major required me to get a pretty good distance but that class was a grind (at least w/ the prof who taught it).



Haha I heard that but didn't want my grades slipping too far due to the second major.
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Honestly the only course I didn't really like was proofs and problem solving, and only because it was so tedious. We wrote tons of proofs in real analysis and abstract algebra, but they were concise.
 
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Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Honestly the only course I didn't really like was proofs and problem solving, and only because it was so tedious. We wrote tons of proofs in real analysis and abstract algebra, but they were concise.
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I actually enjoyed tedious proofs. Really made me take a hard look at why I was doing what I was doing
 
Nutrition->Exercise Physiology-> Organic Chem -> Level 5 Vegan Crossfitting Apache Helicopter
 
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So I was curious why @NotASerialKiller was posting so seriously and then I saw the topic tags.
 
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numbersloth said:
Are you purely a philosophy major or do you also have another major/minor?
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Purely a philosophy major. I *could* get a biology minor with one more bio elective, but don't see any reason to.
 
I came in as a biochemistry and molecular biology and have stayed one since (junior). Though if I could turn back time I might have picked Public Health.
 
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Started bio, contemplated switching to Chem /biochem but realized that I'm not rich and can't afford the extra semester. Finished with bio in 4 years and I don't regret it.
 
My school required up to calc II for a BS in biology, which is ridiculous. I went up to calc I and then just said screw it and got a BA, despite meeting all other requirements. So I'm right there with you.


Hospitalized said:
Mech E -> Economics -> Biology (Chem minor)

**** anything past calc 2 I say


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Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
The calc series is how we weed out the peons from the true math nerds.
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SwordOfTheMorning said:
My school required up to calc II for a BS in biology, which is ridiculous. I went up to calc I and then just said screw it and got a BA, despite meeting all other requirements. So I'm right there with you.
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Another one bites the dust.
 
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Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
purity.png
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I wonder where engineering falls on the spectrum? It's a mixed bag of applied stuff
 
eteshoe said:
I wonder where engineering falls on the spectrum? It's a mixed bag of applied stuff
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Applied physics. Between bio and physics.
 
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Bio>bio

Didn't change because I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. I had to go up to calc 2 for my Bio degree (UC system) which sucked. Ruled out going to some of the UCs because they wanted 1.5 year of Calc! F that

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nm06003 said:
Bio>bio

Didn't change because I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. I had to go up to calc 2 for my Bio degree (UC system) which sucked. Ruled out going to some of the UCs because they wanted 1.5 year of Calc! F that

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These schools are crazy with their calc requirements for a bio degree. I had a similar issue at my school and settled for a BA. There's zero reasons to require that much math for a bio degree. I can maybe see why calc 1 is required, although it's not needed, but anything past that is just killing it.
 
Biochem majors at my school are required to take both Calc I and Calc II, but we are very lucky because we have the option of taking a series that is directed to the "life and social sciences." I basically took Calc I with a bunch of business majors plus some life science majors, and took calc II with mainly other life science majors. I took calculus in high school and it was a lot easier in college. I'm not sure how I would have fared in Calc II if I had to take the more mathematically intensive one that engineering/physics/economics majors generally take, though.
 
tessellations said:
Biochem majors at my school are required to take both Calc I and Calc II, but we are very lucky because we have the option of taking a series that is directed to the "life and social sciences." I basically took Calc I with a bunch of business majors plus some life science majors, and took calc II with mainly other life science majors. I took calculus in high school and it was a lot easier in college. I'm not sure how I would have fared in Calc II if I had to take the more mathematically intensive one that engineering/physics/economics majors generally take, though.
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Or math majors?
 
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Computer science > Chemical Engineering > Biomedical Engineering > Allied Health > Molecular Biology
 
Biology -> microbiology -> biochemistry -> double major in biochemistry and religious studies
 
Freshman: Econ + Bio.
Sophomore: Bio (dropped econ)

Currently a Junior: Idk, thinking about picking up econ again
 
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As a veteran in changing majors:
Physics>Biology/physics>Chem eng>mech eng>mech eng/biomed eng>mech eng/applied science>applied science>physics>mech eng>mech eng/physics

For those who are wondering, it took nearly 8 years.

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Bio -> Near Eastern Studies/Bio

Def glad I added the double.
 
SwordOfTheMorning said:
These schools are crazy with their calc requirements for a bio degree. I had a similar issue at my school and settled for a BA. There's zero reasons to require that much math for a bio degree. I can maybe see why calc 1 is required, although it's not needed, but anything past that is just killing it.
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Yes I completely agree. Have not used any calc past physics (has to be calc based phys in the UC system). Thanks CA :/
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Or math majors?
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Haha, yes, of course. I guess that was sort of implied in my head. :p To be fair, a lot of the math majors (as well as other majors) at my school actually end up skipping both Calc I and II because of AP BC Calc credit. Which is kind of crazy to me since I hear that Calc II is a bit of a right of passage.
 
Exercise science--> chem engineering--> physiology (thank goodness I decided against engineering)
 
Paramedic>Exercise Science>Biology>Physics

1HN8WKb.jpg
 
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tessellations said:
Biochem majors at my school are required to take both Calc I and Calc II, but we are very lucky because we have the option of taking a series that is directed to the "life and social sciences." I basically took Calc I with a bunch of business majors plus some life science majors, and took calc II with mainly other life science majors. I took calculus in high school and it was a lot easier in college. I'm not sure how I would have fared in Calc II if I had to take the more mathematically intensive one that engineering/physics/economics majors generally take, though.
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Thank goodness for the life science version of math related classes. Not sure how I would have survived physics otherwise.
nm06003 said:
Bio>bio

Didn't change because I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. I had to go up to calc 2 for my Bio degree (UC system) which sucked. Ruled out going to some of the UCs because they wanted 1.5 year of Calc! F that

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The UC I went to required multivariable calculus (thankfully the life science version) for molecular bio. Then they removed requirement after I took the class :/

Bio Engineering > Human Biology > Neuroscience > Molecular Biology. I switched from neuroscience to molecular bio as I heard that advanced neuro was a killer class. Though in the end, I still ended up having to take advanced neuro as I needed another elective to graduate on time :rolleyes:
 
Materials Engineering --> Nursing --> Global Health --> dropped out and joined the Army --> came back, reenrolled as Microbiology, dropped out again --> realized I was stupid and got an A.S. in Paramedicine --> worked for a couple years then reenrolled in university, still as Micro --> ordered to deploy with the Army, so I transferred schools to finish a B.S. in Paramedic Care online while overseas, in doing so finally stopped denying that I wanted to be a physician --> got home and finished my premed prereqs, and in doing so "accidentally" completed the requirements for a B.S. Microbiology

10 years from first class to final graduation. The last year has been strong (GPA=3.9) but those first years were not (closer to a 2.0). Studying for the MCAT now, then applying to postbaccs.
 
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tessellations said:
Haha, yes, of course. I guess that was sort of implied in my head. :p To be fair, a lot of the math majors (as well as other majors) at my school actually end up skipping both Calc I and II because of AP BC Calc credit. Which is kind of crazy to me since I hear that Calc II is a bit of a right of passage.
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Definitely is. I went through the whole series. I actually started with pre-calc since my high school didn't offer calculus and only required up to algebra 2. I didn't become a math major until after calc 2, actually. It was true love.
 
for those of you that started in physics or engineering and ended up in biology: was it the math that was too much? or were the concepts too abstract to grasp
 
Biological Sciences --> Biological Sciences + Psychology
 
dnp1123 said:
for those of you that started in physics or engineering and ended up in biology: was it the math that was too much? or were the concepts too abstract to grasp
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Most of the people I know that start out engineering and change it's because of the math. If you can get past calc 2 tho you'll be fine. Calc 3, differential equations, linear alg (that's as far as I went) are all a breeze in comparison to Calc 2.
 
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dnp1123 said:
for those of you that started in physics or engineering and ended up in biology: was it the math that was too much? or were the concepts too abstract to grasp
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But also to add to this, if you don't like math don't do engineering or physics... You're major really doesn't matter, although it's nice having engineering as a solid backup plan to medicine. If you're an engineering major you will have job offers when you graduate, so it's nice having that security if medicine unfortunately doesn't work out. Just my two cents
 
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seanm028 said:
Materials Engineering --> Nursing --> Global Health --> dropped out and joined the Army --> came back, reenrolled as Microbiology, dropped out again --> realized I was stupid and got an A.S. in Paramedicine --> worked for a couple years then reenrolled in university, still as Micro --> ordered to deploy with the Army, so I transferred schools to finish a B.S. in Paramedic Care online while overseas, in doing so finally stopped denying that I wanted to be a physician --> got home and finished my premed prereqs, and in doing so "accidentally" completed the requirements for a B.S. Microbiology

10 years from first class to final graduation. The last year has been strong (GPA=3.9) but those first years were not (closer to a 2.0). Studying for the MCAT now, then applying to postbaccs.
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no worries about that. i had a buddy who had no idea that DO programs existed so he took 12 years and 300+ undergrad credits to get his GPA up to a 3.3 and 515ish MCAT. he got into his home MD school suny downstate after applying for 2 cycles in '13 and '14. no postbac, but he did have two bachelors in biology and chem engineering. really nice and bright dude, but got caught up in the wrong crowd when the poker boom was alive and well in early 2000s and kept missing classes to play cards so never officially withdrew. the profs had no chocies to give him F's. he did this for 2-3 years until getting thrown out and having to start over from scratch i.e. community college lol. his parents were supportive as hell and so i guess its doable with good discipline, right mindset and good support system. i wish you well.
 
Psychology>biology>philosophy>philosophy and political sci (international relations), my first BA. Degree two will be neurobiology. Going to take about 7 years altogether.
 
puglover94 said:
Most of the people I know that start out engineering and change it's because of the math. If you can get past calc 2 tho you'll be fine. Calc 3, differential equations, linear alg (that's as far as I went) are all a breeze in comparison to Calc 2.
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I thought calc 2 was easy personally. Integrals made sense to me. I'm finding calc 3 harder personally
 
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leonardoson said:
I thought calc 2 was easy personally. Integrals made sense to me. I'm finding calc 3 harder personally
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Guess it probably depends on the school / professor / person. Calc 2 is the absolute worst at my school haha
 
leonardoson said:
I thought calc 2 was easy personally. Integrals made sense to me. I'm finding calc 3 harder personally
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Then you didn't have good exposure in calc 2. Calc 2 is supposed to take what you learned in calc 1 and make you apply it to different problems, requiring you to think and troubleshoot. Once you get through calc 2, calc 3 should be easy as you're just expanding it to mutivariable calculus.
 
Half of my undergrad career in education, half split between the sciences
 
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Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Then you didn't have good exposure in calc 2. Calc 2 is supposed to take what you learned in calc 1 and make you apply it to different problems, requiring you to think and troubleshoot. Once you get through calc 2, calc 3 should be easy as you're just expanding it to mutivariable calculus.
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Pretty sure that's what I did...
 
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