Math majors?

[Philo]

Hey, I'm a philosophy major (as my username suggests) and I've been thinking about doing a joint major with mathematics. I really like math just as much as I like philosophy but all my friends have told be that a math major is a gpa killer. I have a pretty good gpa right now and I'm pretty good at math but I'm worried that taking third and fourth year math courses would mess up my gpa. What do you guys think? is it worth it? I would especially like to hear from premed math majors. thx.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[eram]

It all depends on which classes you take and what your style of mathematics is. Real analysis was a killer for me, and I ended up only studying for that class that semester (instead of Orgo and Physics), but it really expanded the way I thought and looked at problems so I'd do it again in a second. Math is really a major that you can tailor to your own interests...for example, I did not take any statistics classes, but I took all the advanced analysis, algebraic theory, and some graduate level computational biology classes that I absolutely loved.

The upper level classes will make the pre-med classes look like cake, but I definitely think it was worth it, and it is absolutely manageable if you're a diligent student.

 

[Spooner]

Hey, I'm a philosophy major (as my username suggests) and I've been thinking about doing a joint major with mathematics. I really like math just as much as I like philosophy but all my friends have told be that a math major is a gpa killer. I have a pretty good gpa right now and I'm pretty good at math but I'm worried that taking third and fourth year math courses would mess up my gpa. What do you guys think? is it worth it? I would especially like to hear from premed math majors. thx.

That's why they all say a lower GPA in Engineering and/or Math, Physic, Chem major is still competative.

 

[ShyRem]

I was a math major (and chem major - double GPA killer). I have to say that real analysis absolutely sucked the very soul out of my body. I was taking pchem at the same time, and it pretty much made pchem seem like basic college algebra in comparison. I also took ochem at that same time (yeah, I know, don't start), and yeah, I'd have to say that it made all the premed classes look pretty darn easy. I'd have to say that real analysis was absolutely the toughest course ever. Ever.

Would I do the math major again? You bet. I like math - that's why I chose the major to begin with. Major in what you like. If you like math - do it.

 

[eram]

yay a fellow math/chem double major :wavey: ^^

 

[novawildcat]

I was a math/chem major as well. I would say as a philosphy major you would definitely be interested in math. Beware: if you do not like doing proofs then you should obviously not be a math major. Every single math class you take after calc 3 and diff. eq. will all be proof based. I would strongly urge you to take a course on mathematical logic if your school offers it. You will see that the line between math and philosophy is actually quite blurry. Math logic actually sets its foundations on a mathematical definition for truth and it stretches the idea of what one is able to know and prove considerably. You would probably be also very interested in set theory (zermelo frankel set theory), learning that there are different sizes of infinity, the continuum hypothesis, etc. All this would be very interesting to a philosphy major and would likely be covered during and undergraduate career as a math major. Some of the very best mathematicians of all time also happened to be very good philosopher like descartes and bertrand russell.

 

[oxeye]

Hey, I'm a philosophy major (as my username suggests) and I've been thinking about doing a joint major with mathematics. I really like math just as much as I like philosophy but all my friends have told be that a math major is a gpa killer. I have a pretty good gpa right now and I'm pretty good at math but I'm worried that taking third and fourth year math courses would mess up my gpa. What do you guys think? is it worth it? I would especially like to hear from premed math majors. thx.

How far along are you in school? What's the highest level math class you have taken until now? Math is an awesome subject, but I will warn you if you haven't taken any upper division math courses yet - it's a completely different ballgame than the lower level courses. If you have the mind for proofs, then go for it. I truely believe that math is one of the most interesting things you can study in college - it is the basis of almost everything it seems.

I didn't major in math, but a close relative - statistics. I was three upper-division math classes shy of having a double math/statistics major but I wasn't terribly fond of those upper level math classes so I decided to pass. My GPA is very good, but I will say it would have been near perfect without a few of those math classes!

My husband majored in math and the way he describes his courses is a lot different than the upper level courses I took - but we went to different schools (mine notoriously difficult for its science courses) - so the school can also make a difference in how demanding those upper level classes will be.

 

[rgarrig]

Pre-med math minor, comp sci major (and near philo double major) here. Studying math is *great* for the mind. Seriously - it makes you smarter (IMHO). Do it Do it!

And as for the GPA issue, take Calculus (if you haven't already), Discrete Math, and Linear Algebra for starters. If you ACE those three courses, you can definitely handle upper-level math classes.

 

[CerealBox]

i majored in math. i loved it. i think the way i do because i was a math major. even now, knowing i love medicine and want to be a doctor, i would still major in math if i had to go back and do it again.
but i also agree with the above warnings about upper-level being very different than lower or intermediate level classes...

 

[ShyRem]

Uhhhh - depends on your courses and professors, rgarrig. I did ace those courses, and still real analysis sucked the life out of me. And my sister (also a math major but she finished hers 20 years ago) said real analysis was no problem - hers was mainly logic. If I never did another neighborhood or cover proof I'd be happy.

 

[rgarrig]

Uhhhh - depends on your courses and professors, rgarrig. I did ace those courses, and still real analysis sucked the life out of me. And my sister (also a math major but she finished hers 20 years ago) said real analysis was no problem - hers was mainly logic. If I never did another neighborhood or cover proof I'd be happy.

Good point. I guess what I mean is that some people have a mind for math and proofs, and some don't. I saw math ed. majors drop like flies in Linear Algebra (their first real experience with proofs), whereas others breezed through the course because they had the requisite cognitive skills for proof-writing. In my experience, the three classes I mentioned will tell you if you have a mind for proofs, and math in general. If you do poorly in those classes, a math major is definitely not a good choice. If you do well in them, there's a good chance you can handle the upper-level math courses, but as you point out, it's no guarantee, and some math classes are unique in the skills they require.

 

[njbmd]

Hey, I'm a philosophy major (as my username suggests) and I've been thinking about doing a joint major with mathematics. I really like math just as much as I like philosophy but all my friends have told be that a math major is a gpa killer. I have a pretty good gpa right now and I'm pretty good at math but I'm worried that taking third and fourth year math courses would mess up my gpa. What do you guys think? is it worth it? I would especially like to hear from premed math majors. thx.

Hi there,
I did a math minor because I found that I had most of the credits after taking the math pre-recs for my science classes. I also tremendously enjoyed math too though it was a bit of work in the beginning.

Any course can be a GPA killer if you do not keep up and do the work. If you enjoy math and want to pursue this, then do so. Many people have crashed and burned with philosophy too but it seems that you are doing well. Go for what you like and what interests you.

On the other hand, if you are doing math because you believe that it will "look good to an admissions committee" then you might run into problems down the road. Rather than seeking out what you think will "look good to an adcom" enjoy learning and major in what you enjoy.

njbmd

 

[eram]

On the other hand, if you are doing math because you believe that it will "look good to an admissions committee" then you might run into problems down the road. Rather than seeking out what you think will "look good to an adcom" enjoy learning and major in what you enjoy.

njbmd

Sound advice; I couldn't agree more.

And on a side note, statistics != math...

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I went into college wanting to major in math and chemistry. But when we hit the 'prove something is continuous' and 'prove something exists' proofs - I bolted.

So, I shifted into physics and biochem instead (and 1 course short of a chem minor).

In retrospect, if I had to redo it, I would do a triple-major (yes, it's possible if well organized) in math, physics, and philosophy.

 

[eram]

the ones i really hated were prove the limit exists/does not exist/etc...ugh, i still have nightmares

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

the ones i really hated were prove the limit exists/does not exist/etc...ugh, i still have nightmares

Are those the miserable epsilon delta things?

I hated those.

 

[Will Ferrell]

Math majors are so awesome I wish I majored in that. Too bad early on I was under the impression that majoring in a science was best for a premed. All you math majors impress me!

 

[Philo]

I'm taking Calc. II right now and everything just fascinates me. I know there have been many philosophers that were also mathematicians but I didn't know how closely related they were. Next term I'll be taking Linear Algebra and Differential Equations...I geuss I'll just take it class by class. If I do well next term, I'll pursue a math major.