How important is Biology for a Physics Major?

[flyingpig]

How important? My university requries at least 1 year of Biology in a high school, but I didn't take it.

 

[Anti-Meson]

I have no formal qualifications in biology. I would argue that it isn't important for a physics major. However, if your university is actually offering a natural science major of which physics, biology and chemistry are equally studied, then high school biology is preferable.

 

[flyingpig]

I have no formal qualifications in biology. I would argue that it isn't important for a physics major. However, if your university is actually offering a natural science major of which physics, biology and chemistry are equally studied, then high school biology is preferable.

What about 1st-year Biology? I am already taking AP Chemistry

 

[Anti-Meson]

On a scale of importance, chemistry knowledge is better than biology for a physics major as chemistry is really applied nuclear, atomic and quantum physics.

 

[flyingpig]

On a scale of importance, chemistry knowledge is better than biology for a physics major as chemistry is really applied nuclear, atomic and quantum physics.

But if I find AP Chemistry not very hard (it really isn't), does that mean Biology would be a smooth for me?

 

[Anti-Meson]

I would say give it a shot, you may like it or dislike it, you'll never know until you have experienced it.

 

[Pinu7]

It may or may not be very important for you. Physics is applied everywhere in Biology and you may find your calling to be biological/medical physics which would make you VERY employable in academia/industry.

 

[Choppy]

How important? My university requries at least 1 year of Biology in a high school, but I didn't take it.

I think the answer is in your question. Obviously the univeristy feels that it's necessary that its physics majors study biology in high school.

Their reasoning is likely that they want their students to be coming in with a fairly broad scientific background. It's my opinion that university science students should aim to take a fairly general first year that explores as many fields of science as possible. This is because many students find that in university their interests change, or that a subject isn't really what they thought it was in high school. Further, looking to the future, I suspect a lot of scientific research will be done in interdisciplinary fields, so it makes sense to ensure undergraduates speak a common language between disciplines.