Need help with major

[Shinobiz11]

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Yeah I know that it doesn't matter what major you pick as long as you excel in it but I can't decide what major to go into. I want to do either biochemistry or biology. I find both really interesting but there are some points that make me want to choose one over the other. First I have to take a lot of chem classes for biochem, which would be nice, but it would be kind of repetitive. For bio i have to take a like 3 or 4 useless classes for the degree ( i.e ecology). Also my brother is a bio major so I probably wont have to pay for many books seeing how I could use his. Biochem seems more of my type of path but im not sure I would stay committed to it. Can you guys give me some tips on both majors and I'll eventually decide.

 

[CaliGirl14]

For bio i have to take a like 3 or 4 useless classes for the degree ( i.e ecology). .

Not to rain on your parade or anything, but technically, all of our majors will become 'useless' since we're all planning to go to med school and nothing we learn from our majors will help us when we're doctors....So no use in complaining of taking 'useless' classes.

 

[Tots]

I didn't like the core ecology & evolution class I took but I am now taking an upper division "Evolution of Infectious Diseases" course and it surprises me how much stuff I shunned in the lower division course is actually important and applicable to microbiology, immunology and biochemistry. 😍

 

[mangomadness]

well how much do you like biochem? bc you will take a biochem class as a biology major, but you will have the opportunity to take other classes too.....
biochem = mixing biology and some organic chemistry. do you like ochem too?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Well really... Biochem is going to be a killer... It requires tons of math and requires P-chem and analytic. I personally the reason why I'm a Psych/bio instead of a psych/biochem is all due to the requirement to do p-chem and analytic.

Anyway I personally enjoy ecology its really easy.. however.. botany is my personal bane.. I think that in the end, it doesnt matter do which one you'd enjoy more in the end. Im taking biology simply because i love the lack of math and principles of learning how things happen.

 

[FloatOn]

Just know that for a biochem major, you might/will most likely have to take challenging chem classes like physical chemistry and analytical chemistry. If you have to take the labs with these, it's going to be very time-consuming.

I'm not sure what you mean by "repetitive." You will have brushed the surface on many of these topics in gen chem, but Pchem and Achem can get pretty detailed. That said, you can always take upper-level bio classes if you want, along with your biochem major.

 

[FloatOn]

Well really... Biochem is going to be a killer... It requires tons of math and requires P-chem and analytic. I personally the reason why I'm a Psych/bio instead of a psych/biochem is all due to the requirement to do p-chem and analytic.

Anyway I personally enjoy ecology its really easy.. however.. botany is my personal bane.. I think that in the end, it doesnt matter do which one you'd enjoy more in the end. Im taking biology simply because i love the lack of math and principles of learning how things happen.

Yup. OP, definitely make sure you like or can handle the math involved in upper-level chemistry classes. There's calculus in pchem.

 

[nvermz279]

I think it also depends on your school. I've seen people on SDN talking about, say, a biochem lab, which isn't offered at my school at all. Pchem is a "recommended" but not a required class for the major here. Look into what the required classes are at your school for each major and talk to upperclassmen if you can about the professors and the classes.

 

[anfleisch]

You need to really want to do biochem I think. Is there a more flexible major like a premed where you can take coursework from any of the life science cores. I am in that and I just take micro classes, biochem classes, bio classes, or anything that has the best professors and most interesting material.

 

[WhizoMD]

I think you should do your gpa a favor and choose bio.

 

[Danlee07]

Depends on your school I suppose.

For my school, the biochemistry actually was purely biochemistry. The major is too specific for a better chance at a broader knowledge going into med school.

Biology major gave us waaay more options to choose from every single topic for med school while going towards the 120 hrs needed.

 

[riverjib]

It completely depends on your school. At my school, biochem is inundated by pre-med gunners who are downright cutthroat. A friend of mine transferred here last semester. She has no interest in medical school...she's thinking about different graduate programs, but she's not sure what she wants to do. The biochem I professor (a Nobel laureate whose recommendation is rare and coveted) LOVES her, probably because it's refreshing to him that someone doesn't go to his office hours in hopes of getting a stellar LOR. She works in his lab now. Consequently, all the insecure gunners are after her, simultaneously asking her to "hook them up" with him, and (in some cases) giving her false information in hopes of bringing her down a notch. It's amusing but disheartening.

I chose chemistry initially because the biochem department is notorious for poor teaching and tough testing to weed out those who weren't successfully weeded out in BCPM classes...and the 3000+ students who are obsessed with getting into medical school, regardless of who they step on to get the grades they need. I got into the pharmacology major, which is really small and competitive, but much friendlier. I never considered bio. I used to teach wilderness survival and I can probably name most of the plants you might encounter in the US...but I have very little interest in the life cycles of a fern.

If I wasn't really interested in the basic sciences, I probably would have majored in something entirely different. I think I would have actually enjoyed majoring in history or English or some other non-science major. But I'm non-trad and have been supporting myself for years, so it simply wasn't practical for me to major in something that didn't offer an immediate fall-back plan in case I didn't get into med school right away. Not that you can't work with a humanities degree...but that's another career path that requires cultivation. As a pharm major with four years of solid research experience, I've already been offered half a dozen jobs that I didn't seek--they got my name and research presentations off some list.

Long-winded response (sorry)...my point is that you should major in whatever interests you. If you're graduating at 21 or 22 and you can live with your parents if you don't get into med school right away, your options are limitless!

 

[roseglass6370]

I think you should do your gpa a favor and choose bio.

+1 👍

(This is very important.)

 

[Shinobiz11]

Yeh bio is sounding like it would be a lot better. I am in calculus right now and I understand it but I really hate doing it. It seems biochem would be a lot more work and harder from what you told me. Also I do like biochem, like the ideas and such of proteins and polymers and all that stuff, but I have barely scratched the surface in O-chem. I guess i'll stay with bio for now and if something persuades me i'll change. Btw what I meant by repetitive was at my school, you have to take like general chem 1, gen chem 2, any chem 1, any chem 2, plus labs, etc. So I didn't want to take these classes again even though the curriculum will be different.

No we have no pre-med major the closest thing is health science major but I dont want to major in just health science I want to broad spectrum of biology not just a sect.

Thanks for your help

 

[naijaboi]

I was a biochem major and I loved it. I chose it because I liked both chemistry and biology. I also did not want to take ecology, and those other fluffy classes. Yes Biochem can be difficult, especially A.Chem and P.Chem, but medical school will be twice as hard. It is better to prepare yourself now. If you have an affinity for the hard-sciences and would not mind working hard, go with Biochem. Biology is also fun, you get to take neurobiology, endrocinology and all of the good stuff.

 

[silverhorse84]

I think you should do your gpa a favor and choose bio.

No offense to the bio majors out there, but my gpa would have been worse as a bio major - not because it's overly difficult but because I would have found many of the classes very boring. This leads to no motivation to study, and consequently, bad grades (for me anyway).

Calculus sucks, I hated it, but once I got through it I rarely used it again in my biochem major. A bit for pchem, but I had good friends that helped me get through the class, so it was no big deal.

 

[chman]

I think you should do your gpa a favor and choose bio.

This.

There is really no need to be a hero. Unless you absolutely love biochem don't do it. In other words, if you are just as exited about bio as biochem then go for bio. Have a life and gain some outside activities.

 

[jm192]

At my University, it's in some sense easier to do Bio AND Chem as opposed to BioChem.

IF you're pre-med you're and majoring in Bio, you end up 2 Chem classes short of a major in that as well.

IF you wanted to do biochem, your Bio Electives become a little more limited. I can't remember it all off the top of my head, but it seemed like there were around 12 hours of oddball bio classes that you'd never think to take for the sake of med-school prep.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

At my University, it's in some sense easier to do Bio AND Chem as opposed to BioChem.

IF you're pre-med you're and majoring in Bio, you end up 2 Chem classes short of a major in that as well.

IF you wanted to do biochem, your Bio Electives become a little more limited. I can't remember it all off the top of my head, but it seemed like there were around 12 hours of oddball bio classes that you'd never think to take for the sake of med-school prep.

Chem major at your school is just gen chem , o-chem , p-chem and a-chem?
at my school its a buttload of work lol XD

 

[Shinobiz11]

OK thanks again. But I have been looking into molecular biology & biotech, it sounds interesting as well. Can anyone give me tips on this major as well? btw bio is sounding a lot better now than biochem, i really dont seem that interested in chem as i use to be.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

OK thanks again. But I have been looking into molecular biology & biotech, it sounds interesting as well. Can anyone give me tips on this major as well? btw bio is sounding a lot better now than biochem, i really dont seem that interested in chem as i use to be.

Molecular biology is more or less biochem lol.. At my undergrad you get a major in biochemistry & molecular biology.

 

[Procyon]

I was also split between bio/biochem for a while. But decided against biochem because of the math.

That said, if you're genuinely interested in biochem, you probably would enjoy the molecular bio track, I'd imagine. 🙂

 

[Shinobiz11]

the molecular bio at my school is almost the same as regular bio but u take have to take virology and immunology and molecular bio of plants, eucs, and procs and an extra math and chem class

 

[boaz]

Yeah I know that it doesn't matter what major you pick as long as you excel in it but I can't decide what major to go into. I want to do either biochemistry or biology. I find both really interesting but there are some points that make me want to choose one over the other. First I have to take a lot of chem classes for biochem, which would be nice, but it would be kind of repetitive. For bio i have to take a like 3 or 4 useless classes for the degree ( i.e ecology). Also my brother is a bio major so I probably wont have to pay for many books seeing how I could use his. Biochem seems more of my type of path but im not sure I would stay committed to it. Can you guys give me some tips on both majors and I'll eventually decide.

Believe you me, you will never go bored with a biochem major. They won't waste your time with repetition. 🙂

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

the molecular bio at my school is almost the same as regular bio but u take have to take virology and immunology and molecular bio of plants, eucs, and procs and an extra math and chem class

Thats actually interesting.. As long as that extra math and chem class dont prove to be really difficult the molecular bio major might be good. Where do you go btw lol?

 

[Shinobiz11]

Thats actually interesting.. As long as that extra math and chem class dont prove to be really difficult the molecular bio major might be good. Where do you go btw lol?

Well im an HS senior still but i plan to go to UMich- Flint, The molecular bio is sounding like a better deal. Plus I was talking with one of the pre-med advisor before and he said molecular bio is good field for future med students.
here is a link to the requirements.

Molecular Bio

Bio

 

[chman]

Well im an HS senior still but i plan to go to UMich- Flint, The molecular bio is sounding like a better deal. Plus I was talking with one of the pre-med advisor before and he said molecular bio is good field for future med students.
here is a link to the requirements.

Molecular Bio

Bio

Since you are in high school, I will tell you what I tell all high-schoolers. Don't limit yourself before you are even in college. Take some time, your first year or so, and explore classes and interests. As you are doing so, narrow down what you might want to
study. What's the rush?

I also hope that you want to do one of these because you love them, not because you think it is "pre-medidy," for lack of a better term.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Well im an HS senior still but i plan to go to UMich- Flint, The molecular bio is sounding like a better deal. Plus I was talking with one of the pre-med advisor before and he said molecular bio is good field for future med students.
here is a link to the requirements.

Molecular Bio

Bio

Well if the pre-med adviser says its good, then its probably good as long as you actually are into all of that stuff. I personally would love to take immunology and virology before i finish undergrad (psych & bio major)

 

[Shinobiz11]

Since you are in high school, I will tell you what I tell all high-schoolers. Don't limit yourself before you are even in college. Take some time, your first year or so, and explore classes and interests. As you are doing so, narrow down what you might want to
study. What's the rush?

I also hope that you want to do one of these because you love them, not because you think it is "pre-medidy," for lack of a better term.

Well of course im interested. I originally wanted to do biology because I love the subject ut something about biochem stuck out to me. Now bio is sounding like a better deal and molecular bio sounds like the best plan overall.

Anyway, thanks for all of your help. My decision at the moment is Molecular bio. I can change it anytime within the next 2 years so it's all good. Thanks for all of the help and information.👍👍

 

[FloatOn]

Well of course im interested. I originally wanted to do biology because I love the subject ut something about biochem stuck out to me. Now bio is sounding like a better deal and molecular bio sounds like the best plan overall.

Anyway, thanks for all of your help. My decision at the moment is Molecular bio. I can change it anytime within the next 2 years so it's all good. Thanks for all of the help and information.👍👍

Yay, mission accomplished! Good work people. 👍

 

[Morsetlis]

I got straight A's in all my biochem classes except for a C in molecular bio (which I retook and turned into an A). I was a biochem major.

Be careful of where you're heading ;p

 

[bigmo99]

A good "outside-the-box" major would be kinesiology, or at my school: exercise physiology. Really good for learning your anatomy and physiology early. Plus physical activity is the best preventative medicine and the key to cutting obesity in half 🙂

 

[Shinobiz11]

A good "outside-the-box" major would be kinesiology, or at my school: exercise physiology. Really good for learning your anatomy and physiology early. Plus physical activity is the best preventative medicine and the key to cutting obesity in half 🙂

lol I play soccer a lot. Should be good. 🙂