Advice is Nice

[foodchain]

Ok, so here is where I am at. I have about one term left of college before I have to make a definitive selection as to what I want to major in, yet after exhaustive efforts on my own I am left to still not having a decision made.

 

I have reduced my choices down though.

 

I like chemistry a lot, lots of fun in the lab, plus I don't mind all the equations with last names. The problem I have with chemistry for what its worth is what all can I work on, or in all reality will all I ever do is work with atomic chemistry. When it comes to chemistry I just want to think that I could eventually land a job smashing neutrons together if thats even possible, not just the periodic table is all.

 

Biology, most likely were I will end up I am sure, most likely medical orientated. I enjoy medicine, or trying to help really, always have. When it comes to this field though again I am just worried that the scope of my career will be limited as to what I can do. I was thinking I could hook up a physical chemistry section to my education to also be able to apply for chemistry jobs. As the rest of my biology education will get into analytical chemistry methods like chromatography and the like. I would think taking math to differential equations would also help me being able to work either life sciences or just more or less chemistry jobs.

 

I gave a lot of thought about being a medical technologist, as the scope of the work holds most of my interests in regards to both chemistry and biology, as in working at the cellular/molecular scale of life. I would think biochemistry would be a good option, yet I am worried that such an education would leave me lacking lots of biological knowledge up and beyond how something somewhere bonds that I could obtain in a biology education anyways these days.

 

I also have various other interests, but in my mind from what I know the above two fields basically would take me into them if I truly wanted.

 

I am sure many professionals frequent this site, and I would really enjoy if they could drop a little advice my way is all.

 

 

Thank you for your time.

[KikiG14]

Hey, why not a degree in Biochemistry? There's plenty of chemistry involved and biology as well. You get to work at the molecular level or with laboratory equipment. You can get plenty of different jobs with a degree like that, and why not get a minor in physical chemistry or physics? That would surely keep your options open in the job market. Have you talked to your advisor? What has he said?

[foodchain]

Hey, why not a degree in Biochemistry? There's plenty of chemistry involved and biology as well. You get to work at the molecular level or with laboratory equipment. You can get plenty of different jobs with a degree like that, and why not get a minor in physical chemistry or physics? That would surely keep your options open in the job market. Have you talked to your advisor? What has he said?

 

I try to stay away from advisors, and plus talking to them I already know what they say, talk to people in the departments really. I thought about a physics minor, but for what coursework I would have in the other options, the classes conflict in terms of time and how many credits I would have to take plus I am human:D

 

I about a year ago thought about abandoning the current academic course I am on for a biophysics option though, but again I thought that the coursework would just leave me lacking overall. I am trying to keep myself open also for continued education and possibilities.

 

I think a lot of my difficulty in decision also stems from my romantic attachment to fringe sci fi like stuff that I should just ignore. There is a biotech option available on a biology degree that would allow me legally in terms of the college to take a variety of classes, that along with a chemistry minor would really hook me up. I am pretty sure it will be that, but again I am just out trying to get advice from the real world.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Well, go talk to people in the departments. One thing I've learned by being in school is that professors love talking about their research and their field of work. Ask them what sort of research they do and you'll be lucky to get out of the office in an hour.

 

As for the minor... you don't actually have to take all the classes required to get a minor, you know. You can just take as many as you can fit in, if you find them interesting and worthwhile. My academic program is great because I have 30 elective credit-hours to fill, and we're encouraged to branch out and take whatever other classes we find interesting. You shouldn't be afraid to do the same, even if it won't get you another minor.

[Genecks]

I suggest biochemistry, because it pays.

I figure biochem would be seriously dull, though, if you want to study microbes and cellular processes and physiology of living organisms.

If that's what you're into, probably a bio route. But if you're trying to take a reductionist approach, then I suggest chemistry and physics.

I believe in reductionism, but I think it's tiring to only study for that purpose.

 

I'm doing the bio/neuro route.

 

But I suspect if I were not focusing on neuro, then I'd definitely be doing biochem.

Premises: Money and reductionist philosophy involved with understanding physiological processes via chemistry.

 

Biochem would surely be difficult, and anything to study should be studied and understood in advance and in a timely manner. Serious thought and discrimination toward core concepts should be applied.

 

In terms of missing out if not taking the bio route, just read a few biology books. There are only about two core books in most colleges: genetics and cell biology.

 

Any further than that, and you become more specialized in something in biology.

Furthermore, there is always graduate school to become more specialized.

 

I've met many professors whom have done a B.S. in BIochemistry and gone to graduate school to partake of a biological science rather than a chemical science. Still, I think if you were to do biochem and had little interest in looking at molecules rather than cellular processes each day, you'd get agitated and seriously annoyed with a biochem major.

 

As a bio/neuro major, I feel it necessary to study biochem, math, and physics. I think that because I understand they are part of a knowledge set to understand things on a finer level. I suspect a biochem major would attempt to learn genetics and cell biology in order to understand things on a broader level.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Genecks

[foodchain]

I suggest biochemistry, because it pays.

I figure biochem would be seriously dull, though, if you want to study microbes and cellular processes and physiology of living organisms.

If that's what you're into, probably a bio route. But if you're trying to take a reductionist approach, then I suggest chemistry and physics.

I believe in reductionism, but I think it's tiring to only study for that purpose.

 

I'm doing the bio/neuro route.

 

But I suspect if I were not focusing on neuro, then I'd definitely be doing biochem.

Premises: Money and reductionist philosophy involved with understanding physiological processes via chemistry.

 

Biochem would surely be difficult, and anything to study should be studied and understood in advance and in a timely manner. Serious thought and discrimination toward core concepts should be applied.

 

In terms of missing out if not taking the bio route, just read a few biology books. There are only about two core books in most colleges: genetics and cell biology.

 

Any further than that, and you become more specialized in something in biology.

Furthermore, there is always graduate school to become more specialized.

 

I've met many professors whom have done a B.S. in BIochemistry and gone to graduate school to partake of a biological science rather than a chemical science. Still, I think if you were to do biochem and had little interest in looking at molecules rather than cellular processes each day, you'd get agitated and seriously annoyed with a biochem major.

 

As a bio/neuro major, I feel it necessary to study biochem, math, and physics. I think that because I understand they are part of a knowledge set to understand things on a finer level. I suspect a biochem major would attempt to learn genetics and cell biology in order to understand things on a broader level.

 

Well for what I have to take chem wise I already will have to take chem every year until I graduate, organic for a year plus biochem for a year with labs. I was thinking that if I could just take a phys chem sequence I could pretty much grab an almost chemistry major along with way just going the minor route. I know biology is becoming incrasingly molecular is all, so I want to keep myself viable. Plus I like cell/molecular stuff, in a developmental sense its awesome to me, more so looking at cellular differentiation leading to any particular organism.

 

I already know that I would become aggitated just doing chemistry solely, and from what I know I have to be careful really or I want be able to get certain classes, and trying to make majors and minors work for me is really something delicate as I have screwed around enough already:D My class loads are already going to be next to insane considering other things.

 

Maybe its just a comfort zone thing also, as bio stuff to me makes more sense or comes easier then other fields due to interests over time. I think in a purely math/physical science field I would not fair as well to say the least.

[Genecks]

I'm looking over a biochemistry book of mine. I believe two semester of biochemistry will surely help teach you various functions of the cell and the chemistry behind its structures.

 

Go find some course books, browse through them, and see what you like.

[CharonY]

I think your best bet is to figure out, what kind of jobs are out there that may interest you. The ideas thrown around right now are very vague, to say the least. The disadvantage about talking to academic advisors is, of course, that most can only provide answers in the academic area. However, many unis also provide courses or the occasional talks from people from industry (and sometimes host biotech or similar job fairs). I would advise you to check those out.

In the end the coursework is little more than just to give a bit of a foundation but chances are that they will have little impact on what you are finally doing. Of course, if you enjoy them, by all means do that while you are still undergrad. The major is not your career defining decision. But it is important at some point to define ones career. Generally the first big step is to whether enter grad school (and where) than anything else.