Need help with next 3.5 yrs, would appreciate advice thnx :)

[masterMood]

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Hi all, so after some long thinking and time-wasting on the comp, i've decided that I want to double major in biology and philosophy. I needed your guys and girls help to see if this schedule makes sense, if i'm missing anything crucial (i.e. required classes above teh general pre-reqs like physical chem or spanish etc), and if its a schedule that is doable with enough time with e.c.s and a sane life. Major reasons why I wanna double major 1) philosophy is very interesting 2) very good verbal prep through critical reading/thinking and writing. Pro: 760 verbal on SAT (does it indicate anything i mean I studied for that) Con: Average to sometimes below average writer (and i want to be a good writer) 3) Double major advantage especially coming from SUNY especially when applying to top tier med schools. I'd really appreciate it if you guys gave some useful advice because i don't want to screw myself royally academically speaking.

A B.S. in bio takes 72 credits (+ 30 with pre-med stuff) + 30 credits for a philosophy major
Freshmen 2nd semester: Gen. Chem II with lab (4 credits), Gen. Bio. II w/lab (4 cr), Calc II (4 cr), Writing class (3 cr), philosophy - introduction to logic (3 cr) Total 18 credits. <---- This would be a jump from 15 credits 1st semester. Doable?

Summer 2006 - Physics I with lab, Physics II with lab

Soph. yr. 1st semester - Ancient Phil. (3 cr), Organic Chem I w/ lab (4 cr), Genetic w/ lab (4), Humanity class (4 cr) (required), TOTAL: 18 cr
Soph. yr. 2nd semester: Organic Chem II w lab (4 cr), Modern phil. (3 cr), Humanities II (4 cr), Ecology (3 cr), statistics (3 cr) TOTAL: 17 credits

I'm worried about sophomore year with organic chemistry coupled with humanities which is a writing intensive class with lots of reading and genetics (lots of reading), with art history (memorization). This is the hardest year I think. I will also be doing research the whole year and be running 2 clubs. Would there be a burden of papers as a result?

Junior Year:
1st sem: Cell Bio (3 cr), invert. bio w/ lab (4 cr), Phenomenology and Existentialism (3 cr), Medicine and Morality (3 cr) TOTAL: 15 credits
2nd sem: Animal Physiology (4 cr), Ethical Theory (3 cr), Philosophy elec. (3 cr), Art History (3 credit gen. ed. requirement) 13 credits

This year is MCAT year so the first and second semesters are very light. I would be studying for MCATs with the extra time, and continuing research. I either have the choice of animal phys. or developmen. bio. dunno which one is better medical-wise. If i took animal phys. would that be more than enough for a mastery of human phys.?

Senior
1st: Metaphysics (3 cr), Seminar: Major Problems (Senior level philosophy class) 3 cr, Bio. Seminar (1 credit), Immunology w/ lab (4 cr), Human anatomy (3 cr) TOTAL: 14 credits with NO human antomy 15 credits w/ human anatomy lab
2nd: Theory of knowledge (3 cr), Philosophy of language (3 cr), Bio. Seminar (1 cr), Molecular Biology (3 cr), Elementary Biochemistry (3 cr) TOTAL: 13 cr

If everything works out well the first semester could be tricky with anatomy with lots of memorization and writing lots of papers with interviews.

Now if i went through the double major route, once I started I would pretty much have to finish this off. If i go this way there is no realistic way I could take Biochemistry I and Biochemistry II but I could take elementary biochem (for bio majors). How important is biochem for mcats and as pre-reqs for med. school? Also, how subjective would grades be in philosophy? I am a decent writer but not that great but i can't afford to have my gpa sabotaged you know. Also if i went this way, I would have no time to take human physiology, though I would take animal physiology (interestingly, if you take animal phys. you can't take human phys. so maybe animal phys. covers human phys? i'll have to check this with the guidance counselor)

And finally, are these workloads realistic and is it really worth it to do the double major? I come from a well-respected but not very well-known state university and being an overrepresented minority, I can only see myself stand out through gpa and mcats with the competition. Of course, I'm not just in for that but for genuine interest in this. I think i've said enough ~ appreciate the advice 😍

 

[justskipee]

Hi all, so after some long thinking and time-wasting on the comp, i've decided that I want to double major in biology and philosophy. I needed your guys and girls help to see if this schedule makes sense, if i'm missing anything crucial (i.e. required classes above teh general pre-reqs like physical chem or spanish etc), and if its a schedule that is doable with enough time with e.c.s and a sane life. Major reasons why I wanna double major 1) philosophy is very interesting 2) very good verbal prep through critical reading/thinking and writing. Pro: 760 verbal on SAT (does it indicate anything i mean I studied for that) Con: Average to sometimes below average writer (and i want to be a good writer) 3) Double major advantage especially coming from SUNY especially when applying to top tier med schools. I'd really appreciate it if you guys gave some useful advice because i don't want to screw myself royally academically speaking.

A B.S. in bio takes 72 credits (+ 30 with pre-med stuff) + 30 credits for a philosophy major
Freshmen 2nd semester: Gen. Chem II with lab (4 credits), Gen. Bio. II w/lab (4 cr), Calc II (4 cr), Writing class (3 cr), philosophy - introduction to logic (3 cr) Total 18 credits. <---- This would be a jump from 15 credits 1st semester. Doable?

Summer 2006 - Physics I with lab, Physics II with lab

Soph. yr. 1st semester - Ancient Phil. (3 cr), Organic Chem I w/ lab (4 cr), Genetic w/ lab (4), Humanity class (4 cr) (required), TOTAL: 18 cr
Soph. yr. 2nd semester: Organic Chem II w lab (4 cr), Modern phil. (3 cr), Humanities II (4 cr), Ecology (3 cr), statistics (3 cr) TOTAL: 17 credits

I'm worried about sophomore year with organic chemistry coupled with humanities which is a writing intensive class with lots of reading and genetics (lots of reading), with art history (memorization). This is the hardest year I think. I will also be doing research the whole year and be running 2 clubs. Would there be a burden of papers as a result?

Junior Year:
1st sem: Cell Bio (3 cr), invert. bio w/ lab (4 cr), Phenomenology and Existentialism (3 cr), Medicine and Morality (3 cr) TOTAL: 15 credits
2nd sem: Animal Physiology (4 cr), Ethical Theory (3 cr), Philosophy elec. (3 cr), Art History (3 credit gen. ed. requirement) 13 credits

This year is MCAT year so the first and second semesters are very light. I would be studying for MCATs with the extra time, and continuing research. I either have the choice of animal phys. or developmen. bio. dunno which one is better medical-wise. If i took animal phys. would that be more than enough for a mastery of human phys.?

Senior
1st: Metaphysics (3 cr), Seminar: Major Problems (Senior level philosophy class) 3 cr, Bio. Seminar (1 credit), Immunology w/ lab (4 cr), Human anatomy (3 cr) TOTAL: 14 credits with NO human antomy 15 credits w/ human anatomy lab
2nd: Theory of knowledge (3 cr), Philosophy of language (3 cr), Bio. Seminar (1 cr), Molecular Biology (3 cr), Elementary Biochemistry (3 cr) TOTAL: 13 cr

If everything works out well the first semester could be tricky with anatomy with lots of memorization and writing lots of papers with interviews.

Now if i went through the double major route, once I started I would pretty much have to finish this off. If i go this way there is no realistic way I could take Biochemistry I and Biochemistry II but I could take elementary biochem (for bio majors). How important is biochem for mcats and as pre-reqs for med. school? Also, how subjective would grades be in philosophy? I am a decent writer but not that great but i can't afford to have my gpa sabotaged you know. Also if i went this way, I would have no time to take human physiology, though I would take animal physiology (interestingly, if you take animal phys. you can't take human phys. so maybe animal phys. covers human phys? i'll have to check this with the guidance counselor)

And finally, are these workloads realistic and is it really worth it to do the double major? I come from a well-respected but not very well-known state university and being an overrepresented minority, I can only see myself stand out through gpa and mcats with the competition. Of course, I'm not just in for that but for genuine interest in this. I think i've said enough ~ appreciate the advice 😍

umm, sounds like you need an academic advisor, someone that knows the ins and outs of your school and the classes.

 

[masterMood]

my academic advisor wouldn't be able to give practical answers to the schedule. Perhaps the classes themselves are different than other schools but the topics are for the most part the same in most colleges. Given that is there anything you can comment on my plan?

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

okay! i don't have time to critique the whole thing, and granted, you better sit down with an advisor, not a pre med advisor, a dept advisor, and make sure that you have all the right classes planned out. last minute surprises suck. I know firsthand.

so here's the deal. DO NOT PICK YOUR MAJOR BASED ON WHAT YOU THINK THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS WANT

this process is a serious crap shoot, 4 years is a long time to be studying stuff, you better love it. Okay, for credibility, i will tell you I am a dual Biochemistry (BS) and English Lit (BA) with certificate in creative writing.
So lots of unrelated classes. I LOVE both of these things. I did research because i wanted to, without thought to how it would look on my app. I studied english because i love it. I studied biochem because i'm seriously interested and i did feel that it would prepare me for, but not get me into, medical school. Most importantly, I really like it. period.

A dual major is no picnic. and its not necessary for medical school. philospophy majors get in. biology majors get in (although I still stand that biochemistry will better preparet you because it deals more with the human cell, but thats not the issue here... at least for me, i thought i wanted biology but ended up biochem, PM me if you want to chat about this, i think both are good majors, BUT....)

So, if you still love both these things, and can't live your next 4 years without them both (keep in mind a major and a minor are also a nice combo, sometimes better if you're really worried), then go for it.
Major/minor is a nice combo. What you said about the writing, if you write well, and think well, then your writing will get better with practice. thats waht it takes. i look back at my freshman papers, i thought they were so good and they're just not. my senior papers are. a few years from now i will look back at them and think they're crap. writing requires you to suck for a while you WILL get better if you care about what you're writing. don't be afraid of it, i garauntee you after a year you'll be like wow! my writing is a LOT better now!

As for thinking oh! i'll get a lot of practice in before the mcat verbals with a philosophy major. you are setting yourself up for diaster. do NOT think of your college career only in terms of MCAT's and medical school. Granted you will be like all of us, panicking for 4 years about getting all A's. thats natural and can't be helped most of the time. however, your schedule you panick over is up to you. If you don't think. Oh philosophy! i love reading and writing about that stuff, and it will make me happy and i will learn more for me, then do it. but prepping for the verbal mcats? oh no.
If i said, hey! i'll major in english because it'll get me a 15 on the verbal mcat section, i'd be a miserable little dicker. why? because I wrote a book while i was in college, and only scored a 10 on the verbal mcats thanks to the stomach flu. even without, a 15 was probably not going to happen.
I got a 770 on my sat verbal section. mcats are nothing like it. if you really are freaked about prepping early for verbals on the mcats, don't major in philosophy, start a year early looking at verbal prep books for guided advice. this isn't the gre's . there are no antonym questions.

Okay, so if you're at the end of this saying... no, my loves are biology and philosophy and i must have them both. ask yourself this... how can i setup my schedule loosely, not strictly for the next 4 years. giving yourself NO leeway is hard. try out the schedule. you don't know yet how you study for college (SO DIFFERENT THAN HIGH SCHOOL) so see. you may find that you don't multi-task well, that its better for you to keep focused on science and not splitting the bulk of your focus on two thing.s learning this first semester may mean you'll have a major and a minor. the minor could be either of the things you're interested in. keep an open mind.

Ultimately, do what you love. there is a lot of work involved in a double major, and you don't need it to get into medical school. Its not necessarily a trump card. I didnt' get an exceptional amount of interviews (i'm happy with how i did, granted) and i don't think the interviews i got would have been different had my english degree been a minor . IN FACT! NOW THAT I REMEMBER, I LISTED MY ENGLISH MAJOR AS A MINOR accidentally on AMCAS and couldn't go back and change it, it would have delayed my app. too much, so i just told people at interviews about it. hmm..

So yeah, you BETTER love philosophy and biology. you better want to study them, you better think that if you don't study them both you will cry like a little girl from misery, or don't do it. Because, let me tell you, there is a chance you will not get into medical school. and if that day comes, you will want to have studied something you can happily take to grad school - be it bio or philosophy - before you apply again (or if you don't get in that second cycle of apps).

 

[71263]

umm, sounds like you need an academic advisor, someone that knows the ins and outs of your school and the classes.

I agree. I maybe read 2 lines of that post before I realized I had no idea what was going on.

 

[masterMood]

ha ha yeah that was perhaps a bit lengthy i didn't even realize that when i posted it

 

[71263]

ha ha yeah that was perhaps a bit lengthy i didn't even realize that when i posted it

Hehe, its all good. If your academic advisor isnt too helpful, another good resource might be upperclassmen you know who understand how the classes/scheduling work or who had similar dilemmas.