Got a question for science majors (bachelors, computer science, degree, high school)

[w1ngzer0]

To provide background to my questions.

When i decided to go to college, I took a test. I scored towards criminalist and ranch worker. I took a course in biological evidence and a none major biology class. Loved both, but a little slow when it comes to understanding the science side of things.

My understanding of math is slowly getting more and more difficult, to a point, where it doesn't make sense anymore. As I understand it, chemistry requires a lot of math and with my problems in math, I am second guessing my choice of a science degree.

To the science majors of past and currently working towards this goal, have any of you had the same problem? Are most science majors naturally gifted in science and math?

Anyone that knows a science major can also add to the thread.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

To provide background to my questions.

When i decided to go to college, I took a test. I scored towards criminalist and ranch worker. I took a course in biological evidence and a none major biology class. Loved both, but a little slow when it comes to understanding the science side of things.

My understanding of math is slowly getting more and more difficult, to a point, where it doesn't make sense anymore. As I understand it, chemistry requires a lot of math and with my problems in math, I am second guessing my choice of a science degree.

To the science majors of past and currently working towards this goal, have any of you had the same problem? Are most science majors naturally gifted in science and math?

Anyone that knows a science major can also add to the thread.

I know of a few biology and marine biology majors who dropped out (or changed majors) once they realized the amount of math and, ahem, science courses that they would have to take. I would not say that most science majors are naturally gifted in science or math, they just have an interest in it and just plow through, or drag their feet through, the stuff that they do not understand. I happen to love math and science, and I am definitely not gifted with math.

The math for chemistry is pretty basic algebra and you do a lot of conversions. What ever formulas you will use are given to you, so all you will need to do is plug in the proper numbers, but sometimes you will have to figure out how to get those numbers but once again those formulas will be given to you. Trig will be helpful later on in a Chem II course, but it is not required however calculus becomes essential in higher chem courses, especially for chemical engineering.

[Rei]

My understanding of math is slowly getting more and more difficult, to a point, where it doesn't make sense anymore.

You just need to be persistent and you'll prevail... I've seen 50+ people taking the same math classes when I was undergrad, and they could do it...

[pennquaker09]

Einstein failed Algebra - keep that in mind.

Math and science have always come naturally to me.

[INTN]

I can say that I understand math way better now than I did right out of high school. Which will be good as I start school to knock out my nursing pre-reqs. I am a bit nervous about the sciences necessary, 7 science classes 4 with labs, BUT my end goal is worth it.

So if you have an end in mind focus on that and jump the hurdles necessary but don't add unnecessary obstacles.

Okay, that's my pep talk

[w1ngzer0]

Thank you all. I don't mind grinding through math problems and trying over and over in science. I grew up in a "you are not allowed to fail" mindset and i get a little paranoid when things start not to click.

Again, thank you all.

[neutrino]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

To provide background to my questions.

When i decided to go to college, I took a test. I scored towards criminalist and ranch worker. I took a course in biological evidence and a none major biology class. Loved both, but a little slow when it comes to understanding the science side of things.

My understanding of math is slowly getting more and more difficult, to a point, where it doesn't make sense anymore. As I understand it, chemistry requires a lot of math and with my problems in math, I am second guessing my choice of a science degree.

To the science majors of past and currently working towards this goal, have any of you had the same problem? Are most science majors naturally gifted in science and math?

Anyone that knows a science major can also add to the thread.

At the undergrad level I wouldn't expect much math to be required for biology or chemistry. You'll be exposed to a number of differential equations, but from my experience you won't need to solve or analyze them; only understand the concepts and the relationships of the variables involved (e.g. Lotka-Volterra predator-prey equations). Most of my classmates in biology classes were not very good at math -- at least, not very good in statistics.

If you choose to study biology at the graduate level, you'll likely have to have a thorough understand of statistics and knowledge of how to apply statistical [significance] tests. Also, if you are planning on studying molecular biology, biochemistry, and/or chemistry, you'll probably need to understand how to calculate and interpret molecular conformation energies.

Physics, however, is a completely different story. I took an 'intro to quantum mechanics' class and decided after the first week that it was just too much math for my liking. I wanted to learn the concepts, but I didn't want to have to wade through a mess of differential equations.

I double majored in biology and computer science so I was somewhat proficient at math. Unfortunately I've forgotten most of it since I don't use it now

[anadyr21]

It depends on what type of biology/science you're leaning toward. If you're biochem, Med Tech, or molecular bio, you need to know your math well. If you're focusing more on Anatomy or Pathology, you'd be fine with basic Algebra. Microbiology, is somewhere in between.

Personally, I struggled with Inorganic Chem because of all the Algebra involved. Organic Chem made a lot more sense. If you go to grad school, most of the math is basic Algebra and Statistics, and you use a lot of the same equations and techniques over and over again, so you do eventually get it.

I'm a Biology Professor now, and students STRUGGLE with the math. It takes time, but many figure it out.
We won't speak of Physics.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by neutrino

At the undergrad level I wouldn't expect much math to be required for biology or chemistry.

If you choose to study biology at the graduate level, you'll likely have to have a thorough understand of statistics and knowledge of how to apply statistical [significance] tests.

All of the undergrad bio programs that I have looked into require a course in statistics and either algebra or calculus I. A couple of schools required calculus I and II. In my opinion statistics and trig would be the best math combo for a bio student, but trig seems to be the math that no one takes.

[neutrino]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

All of the undergrad bio programs that I have looked into require a course in statistics and either algebra or calculus I. A couple of schools required calculus I and II. In my opinion statistics and trig would be the best math combo for a bio student, but trig seems to be the math that no one takes.

You're right; I forgot to include those in my post. My university required differential and integral calculus as well as 1 semester of statistics for biology. Algebra is a prerequisite for all of those math classes. I imagine the math requirements for a bachelors in chemistry are very similar, if not the same.

Thanks for the clarification.