Should I do a double major or will it take up way too much time?

In today's job market, anything you can do to distinguish yourself from the millions of other plain old chem majors out there is going to open a lot of doors. Math (especially with a stats or comp. sci. focus) gives you more credibility in a research setting. Bioinformatics/proteomics is only going to get more important to biochemistry and medicine - if you are math oriented but interested in biochem you should definitely explore in that direction.

Double majoring will probably make you weaker in each major but in my experience, quite a bit of what you learn in undergrad you probably won\'t use except as broader concepts informing more specific study down the road.

Computer science.

I have a wicked low opinion of most college grads. Dumb-azzes, for the most part.

What would impress?

A biochem/math major. THAT would be the shizzle.

SERIOUS differentiator.

In a word, no, but read what a straight-A Dartmouth graduate and MIT PhD has to say about it :

http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/09/27/how-double-majors-can-ruin-your-life-two-arguments-for-doing-less/

Read the rest of his blog too - I wish I'd known this stuff when I was an undergrad.

Also, you'll be much happier AND more successful in life if you study what you -want- and not what you think will be "more useful."

Good luck.

old math+chem major wrote:

In today's job market, anything you can do to distinguish yourself from the millions of other plain old chem majors out there is going to open a lot of doors. Math (especially with a stats or comp. sci. focus) gives you more credibility in a research setting. Bioinformatics/proteomics is only going to get more important to biochemistry and medicine - if you are math oriented but interested in biochem you should definitely explore in that direction.

Double majoring will probably make you weaker in each major but in my experience, quite a bit of what you learn in undergrad you probably won't use except as broader concepts informing more specific study down the road.

I agree with this advice, and since you like math, I would go in that direction, but take all the pre-med requirements in the event you decide to go to med school (you might be able to add one or two more classes and get a minor). The math (especially applied math) degree will set you apart and provide you with a sound foundation for genomics and bioinformatics if you go that route. Or study biomedical engineering, a good cross section of all of it. No need to double major, especially if you want to run seriously.

My undergrad was in molecular genetics and immunology, but I was always a math guy and wish I had majored in it. Had I stayed in the field, I would've gone towards genomics.

I think I will just stick with a biochem or chem major but still take a few computer science courses on the side when I have room in my schedule. I think I may end up doing a minor in math and/or philosophy but I think I will stick with only biochem or chem so that I can focus on it and take more upper division courses in these areas.

I'm definitely no career counselor, and biochemistry is a way of de facto double-majoring, but if you like math and are good at it, it's a great way to distinguish yourself (assuming you nail your pre-med prerequisites and the MCAT) from other med school applicants. If you decide not to go to med school, then you are pretty much stuck with research and academia, which was not my cup of tea. Make sure you've considered that fully. I ended up in a math-related field anyway and should've started there to begin with.

Does your school have a genomics major by chance? That's the best of both worlds.

Weird how the thread title keeps changing.

Well you aren't really stuck anywhere - could always go to grad school for something like chem. engineering and take any prereq.'s you missed. My mom did this (granted, she was just straight chemistry undergrad).

just say no wrote:

In a word, no, but read what a straight-A Dartmouth graduate and MIT PhD has to say about it :

http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/09/27/how-double-majors-can-ruin-your-life-two-arguments-for-doing-less/

Read the rest of his blog too - I wish I'd known this stuff when I was an undergrad.

Also, you'll be much happier AND more successful in life if you study what you -want- and not what you think will be "more useful."

Good luck.

I read some of that blog post, and I have to disagree, even though I know how much praise that guy gets. It really depends on the person. I do better in my classes when I have a busy schedule than when I have spare time. I also virtually never experience depression, overwhelming anxiety, or hopelessness. I'm double majoring in Biology and Physiology with plans to be a Physiology Ecologist and I have 3.6 GPA. I also run, spend plenty of time with my gf, and watch movies etc with my roommate. It's not hard, nor is it depressing at all. I get depressed when I DON'T have things to do. I might not have time to go get drunk at the bars three nights a week, but I don't want to do that kind of stuff anyway. I still have time to post on letsrun. I think a lot of people don't realize how much time they waste.

There are really two approaches to double-majoring. 1) Major in something that nicely compliments your first major, like Economics and Math, English Lit and History, Accounting and Finance, etc, or 2) Do something completely different that you're interested in and will keep your brain active and your GPA high.

As for the OP's question, if he's not even in college yet it's really difficult to give any meaningful advice. If med school is a serious consideration, go with Biochem for your major. As for the second major, just my opinion, any depth of knowledge of computers will help you in any career.

I agree that it depends very much on the person and the particular circumstances, and I like your observation about the two approaches to double-majoring. I was an undergraduate at M.I.T., majoring in computer science and hating it. I added a second major, in philosophy, and my passion for my new major (as well as my new sense of identity as a philosophy major) really saved my academic career.

I'm a first year college student, just FYI.

Two things.

First, take all the math you can fit into your schedule be it chem or biochem. If you don't, you will be surprised how hard it is too come back and pick math up once you have let it go for several years.

Second, avoid computer science classes. Between the math and your research you will pick up the computer skills you need.

The point is trying to plan which comp sci courses you are going to need in the future is impossible. The field moves too fast to keep up with if your focus is trying to understand some type of molecular process.

17 years of postdoctoral experience

ps Your freshman year, if you have a good fall semester, find a professor to do research with over the winter break.

One other tip: look for ways you can exploit overlap between the majors. For example I was able to count PChem as an upper-level math course.

Guppy wrote:

There are really two approaches to double-majoring. 1) Major in something that nicely compliments your first major, like Economics and Math, English Lit and History, Accounting and Finance, etc, or 2) Do something completely different that you're interested in and will keep your brain active and your GPA high.

As for the OP's question, if he's not even in college yet it's really difficult to give any meaningful advice. If med school is a serious consideration, go with Biochem for your major. As for the second major, just my opinion, any depth of knowledge of computers will help you in any career.

I like this thought process too, but biochemistry already is a form of a double, overlapping major. Heck, he/she would probably just need one more semester of upper division biology and chemistry classes to have an actual double major.

If med school is THE primary consideration here, application pools are replete with biology and biochem majors, but it is the math, physics, and philosophy majors who have a better chance of getting admitted statistically. So, if THAT is the number one priority, I'd recommend studying math, physics, etc, taking the minimum pre-med reqs, and nailing them. If not, stick with biochem, do well, and maybe grab a minor in comp. sci/math.

Thing is that I'm not sure which path I want to go down yet. I think math/computer science come easier to me, in that order.

Avocado's Number wrote:

I agree that it depends very much on the person and the particular circumstances, and I like your observation about the two approaches to double-majoring. I was an undergraduate at M.I.T., majoring in computer science and hating it. I added a second major, in philosophy, and my passion for my new major (as well as my new sense of identity as a philosophy major) really saved my academic career.

I'm pretty sure Cal Newport's take on that - and mine as well - is "don't major in something you hate."

I'm 41. I went to some pretty brand name schools. And after almost two decades working in areas that totally bored me, I'm finally starting to do something I care about.

Many people spend their whole lives in jobs they hate. Some of these people make tons of money (I'm in Silicon Valley), and most don't. They are all miserable. Eventually, they are miserable to be around.

Don't become these people.