Am I doomed as a biology major?

[Marconis]

I apologize for the very similar thread to the one below me, but after explanation they are rather different. If one were to look at my post history, they'd find my own threads to be rather repetitive, but I need to post this.

 

I am a freshman biology major at a state university. Since I was young, I had always been interested in biology. That's my issue though: Always been interested in biology. In high school, I disliked math, chemistry and never took physics. I took AP Biology last year and it was the best thing I ever did. I proved to myself that I did in fact enjoy biology, studied my ass off, and wound up getting a 5 on the exam. My attention never shifted during class (botany is a different story).

 

Anyway, when applying as a biology major to colleges, I had a lump in my throat as I knew that I was not born a scientist, and would have to work like no other to be good at science studies in general. So, here I sit. In bed after nearly having a panic attack when doing chemistry homework. I am finding general chemistry to be extremely difficult at times. Sometimes it's a breeze, but others are tedious. I have an A in the class right now, but the final will probably destroy that since we only do homework and no exams. I dislike math, but am actually doing very well in my college algebra class (wasn't ready to do precalc/calc).

 

After that little background, my main question is this: If I am so narrow-minded, and am only really interested in biology, am I doomed for a career in science? I am well aware of how closely related chemistry and biology are, and I feel if I suck at one then I have pretty much failed as a well-rounded future scientist. Biology is the only thing that excites me, and a career in it is all I can picture myself doing. I worry, however, that my distaste for chemistry as a whole and difficulty in math is going to be an enormous roadblock for me for many years to come.

[Syntho-sis]

I apologize for the very similar thread to the one below me, but after explanation they are rather different. If one were to look at my post history, they'd find my own threads to be rather repetitive, but I need to post this.

 

I am a freshman biology major at a state university. Since I was young, I had always been interested in biology. That's my issue though: Always been interested in biology. In high school, I disliked math, chemistry and never took physics. I took AP Biology last year and it was the best thing I ever did. I proved to myself that I did in fact enjoy biology, studied my ass off, and wound up getting a 5 on the exam. My attention never shifted during class (botany is a different story).

 

Anyway, when applying as a biology major to colleges, I had a lump in my throat as I knew that I was not born a scientist, and would have to work like no other to be good at science studies in general. So, here I sit. In bed after nearly having a panic attack when doing chemistry homework. I am finding general chemistry to be extremely difficult at times. Sometimes it's a breeze, but others are tedious. I have an A in the class right now, but the final will probably destroy that since we only do homework and no exams. I dislike math, but am actually doing very well in my college algebra class (wasn't ready to do precalc/calc).

 

After that little background, my main question is this: If I am so narrow-minded, and am only really interested in biology, am I doomed for a career in science? I am well aware of how closely related chemistry and biology are, and I feel if I suck at one then I have pretty much failed as a well-rounded future scientist. Biology is the only thing that excites me, and a career in it is all I can picture myself doing. I worry, however, that my distaste for chemistry as a whole and difficulty in math is going to be an enormous roadblock for me for many years to come.

 

This doesn't make sense to me. Biology encompasses many different fields of study. Chemistry, statistics, geology, physics, and botany as you mentioned are all staples of the study of biology. So how the heck can you not like botany and love biology? Biology is the study of life.

 

You've narrowed yourself down to one field. You need to expand your love of learning into other fields of interest. Find things you're interested in and learn more about them...

 

Go to a library. Chemistry and Biology go hand in hand.

[Marconis]

What I meant simply is that botany was my least favorite area of study in biology as of yet. It isn't that I don't love science as a whole; I truly love science despite my dislike for chemistry. Science is the only thing that excites me in life, and what I meant in my thread is that I fear my difficulty in the subjects other than biology may hinder my progression.

[Syntho-sis]

What I meant simply is that botany was my least favorite area of study in biology as of yet. It isn't that I don't love science as a whole; I truly love science despite my dislike for chemistry. Science is the only thing that excites me in life, and what I meant in my thread is that I fear my difficulty in the subjects other than biology may hinder my progression.

 

Hmm well to me at least....Chemistry is most conceptual. The rest is just algebra.

 

Is it the concepts you are struggling with or the equations/math?

[Marconis]

I suppose it is the concepts. Let's say I am learning how to do something such as solubility/colligative equations. I can learn one type of equation, but when another type comes up that is ultimately the same concept as the previous, I start to struggle and cannot seem to apply the same logic as to the previous equation.

[Mr Skeptic]

Well one of the tricks to doing math in the sciences is to keep track of the units. Often, knowing what units your question gives and asks for, is enough to figure out the equation you need to use. At the very least you know that if you are getting the wrong units then you're doing it wrong.

 

It may also help you to make a "cheat sheet" of all the important equations and principles (separate from the rest of your notes).

 

Now, it is clear that you are interested in only a subset of biology. What subset is that?

 

As for college, you will be required to take maths and chemistry related to biology. Yes, you will need these for some aspects of biology.

[Marconis]

Well, for now my main interests are along the lines of bacteria/viruses(chem heavy I'm sure) and ichthyology/freshwater/marine ecosystems(been keeping aquariums all my life). Evolution and genetics as a whole fascinate me as well, but my main interest lies in the former.

 

So, I'd have to go with microbiology.

[foodchain]

What I meant simply is that botany was my least favorite area of study in biology as of yet. It isn't that I don't love science as a whole; I truly love science despite my dislike for chemistry. Science is the only thing that excites me in life, and what I meant in my thread is that I fear my difficulty in the subjects other than biology may hinder my progression.

 

I can understand a bit I think. I dislike math, in reality I dislike math classes. Very boring, repetitive and simply just lame. Though when math is applied in other classes, like chemistry, this problem for me does not exist. I think its just a perceptual thing, but in case of biology and even more so at college level you will be learning about chemistry heavily in just the biology classes also, along with having to take years of chemistry. You might want to find some way to get over that hump, simply because it will eventually end up hurting you in regards to your studies in your major.

[Mr Skeptic]

Microbiology is pretty good. You'll have to learn a good bit of chemistry to understand how they work though.

[Marconis]

I'll be alright. Last night I was just really stressed with the homework I was doing. Wound up doing it again tonight, and took your advice about keeping track of units. It all sort of clicks once you realize that they are all working towards the same thing in the grand scheme of the equation.

[CharonY]

Good to hear. And honestly, it is still early days. Generally you are doomed once you get your PhD (unless you made realistic career plans way ahead of that, which most don't).