Navigating University Applications: Choosing Between Biology & Math

[dumbadum]

It's university application time! Here is my dilemma: On one hand, I love chemistry and biology, and am good at them, but what exactly can I do with a degree in biochem besides research and becoming a doctor? On the other hand, I'm good at math, and I know I'll find a job very easily if I take the Math & Business Administration double degree program, but I don't like math.
Any advice?

 

[mattmns]

[...] but I don't like math.

Then don't major in Math. Why spend the rest of your life doing something you don't like?

 

[dumbadum]

But how can I major in something which won't get me a job I like? (I'm not a big fan of laboratories)

 

[JasonRox]

Well, if you hate math, I highly doubt you will remain good in math.

 

[Plastic Photon]

You like bio and chem but don't want to spend time in lab, correct? You are good at math but you do not like it, correct? You did mention finding a job in math&business. Is business something that you are both good at and like?

 

[Treadstone 71]

You can teach with a biochem degree.

 

[GCT]

It's university application time! Here is my dilemma: On one hand, I love chemistry and biology, and am good at them, but what exactly can I do with a degree in biochem besides research and becoming a doctor? On the other hand, I'm good at math, and I know I'll find a job very easily if I take the Math & Business Administration double degree program, but I don't like math.

majoring in math and biochem will be tough, unless you have a propensity for advanced math (not elementary math, but calculus, differential equations and such). Getting a job in either is not easy and you'll be more limited with a biochem degree. You may want to consider pure science, such as chemistry (involves a fair amount of math-you'll need to take calculus, integral calculus, multivariable calculus...and different equations, linear algebra if you wish to be involved with research), or biology. While in the pursuit of a chemistry major, you'll be exposed to the many fields of chemistry, one which may prefer. Or better yet major in biochem and chemistry (if such an option exists). Some of the different fields of chemistry are
general chemistry-mostly to do with academia
organic chemistry-a lot of biochemistry is in the perspective of organic chemistry (if you wish to talk with an organic chemist, try private emailing "movies")
analytical chemistry-analytical methods
physical chemistry-does "Michalis-Menten" ring a bell, wish to know the origins of it's derivation?

http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=vc2wk\wk3.html

 

[Genecks]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophysics" .
I always think, "Get the best of it all by combining it all."

My best advice is to look over what careers and fields there are. Just don't think of the degree, think of what you can do with the knowledge. It's not about the degree, although it helps. It's the knowledge that comes with getting the degree and what you can do with it.

I mean, sure laboratories can be boring depending on what you're doing. However, when you get more advanced and perhaps obtain a doctorate's you can determine your project.

Something that takes physics, mathematics, and biology/chem is gastrobotics an interesting field with robotics.
There is a large selection of things you can do depending on how you want to approach them.
Maybe look into bioinformatics?

You could do http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomedical_technology" with research. Research gets boring depending on ethics and the limitation put upon you. You might want to move when you get a better degree.

 

[saltydog]

It's university application time! Here is my dilemma: On one hand, I love chemistry and biology, and am good at them, but what exactly can I do with a degree in biochem besides research and becoming a doctor? On the other hand, I'm good at math, and I know I'll find a job very easily if I take the Math & Business Administration double degree program, but I don't like math.
Any advice?

Do what you love; the money will follow. Dude, you don't like math? You need to start. What about Physical Chemistry? That's math beau-coup.
A story: I was in a general physics class with my chem majors. I told them I was taking DE which was optional at the time. They said, "why in the world would you want to take that if it's not required?". Two years latter we were all in P-chem. They dropped out cus' they couldn't handle the math.

Edit:

Oh yea, I think it nice you're into Biology AND Chemistry: You know, there was a thread in here once someone claiming Biology is NOT Chemistry. Can you imagine? I went to College to study Biology. I got a degree in Chemistry. I saw an interesting program on Public TV yesterday: The mechanism of ofaction. You know, how does the nose distinguish all those smells? Lock-and-key? Bunch of locks and keys don't you think? A new theory suggest the nose does so by detecting the vibration frequencies between atoms in the substrate. Biology IS Chemistry.

 

[GCT]

biology is chemistry, chemistry is physics, physics is math etc, etc

 

[saltydog]

biology is chemistry, chemistry is physics, physics is math etc, etc

Wait a minute will all those etc's GCT. What is math? You know what, I think that's a good question to ask in the philosophy forum. Has that been asked yet?

Personally I think math is biology thus realizing full-circle:

Biology is Chemistry
Chemistry is Physics
Physics is Math
Math is Biology

No doubt some might ask, "how is math biology?" but that would be getting off the subject of the OP.

 

[Genecks]

Biology is the study of life, but then the question comes into play of what is life? Life is simply many chemical reactions happening all together. Math helps relate an abstract way of representing actions/reaction of these chemical beings.

 

[saltydog]

Hey Biohazard, they're gonna' run us out of here for getting off subject. I think the OP is just interested in some guidence but you know, that can come in many forms both explicit and implicit. I'm struck however by your quote from a famous physicist, one that motivated me much in my earlier years. You know who? Schrödinger asked back then, "What is life?". Famous little book you know.

Anyway, I thought some may object harshly about my suggestion of math being biology so I feel some obligation to explain myself: math is CREATED by biology, or rather biological systems and thus math can be considered (created by) biology. That's all folks. Be nice to have a little wavin' porky emodicon here but I digress.

 

[GCT]

Wait a minute will all those etc's GCT. What is math? You know what, I think that's a good question to ask in the philosophy forum. Has that been asked yet?

Personally I think math is biology thus realizing full-circle:

Biology is Chemistry
Chemistry is Physics
Physics is Math
Math is Biology

No doubt some might ask, "how is math biology?" but that would be getting off the subject of the OP.

as a final statement (at least here), I would say that all sciences are simply human constructs, if anything, they all stem from math (although I think the Greeks preferred a spiritual basis of philosophy...then mathematical logic), it's simply an highly organized construct, which may have a spiritual basis (as for the Greeks. Or was it some other nation, nation-state...of which such fields were created out of desparation).

So I think perhaps that's why some of us ask the question of what is math, chemistry, biology etc., because out of religious/spiritual needs related to uniting the civilized masses, such fields as math and sciences allow for a productive expression of these desires.

I for one don't see the significance of the question, what is chemistry, biology, maths (my earlier statement was actually posted with sarcasm, thought it would be a nice ending to the thread). I've learned that being absorbed in one field or another really limits my analytical abilities, but I've found that a mathematical basis of things to be more convenient, since it is the least biased.

 

[dumbadum]

Thanks everyone!
I've decided to apply to:
Life sciences: biochemistry
Life sciences: chemistry
Life sciences: Bio-medical Science
Mathematics and Business double degree
at four different universities.
Since the first year for all life science students is pretty much the same, I think I'm going to just take my courses and figure out what I really like. Maybe I'll take a business course along with my sciences to see if I really like it.
I'm pretty sure I'll be taking math courses just because I've been doing math for so long.
Thanks again for all your help!