<p>Hi! I'm currently sophomore 2nd semester, and I have had really difficult time because of wrong class selection. I am chemistry/ physics/math triple major, but, I'm not going to take physics class this semester.</p>
<p>My classes for this coming semester are
Intro to statistical modeling
Intro to scientific programming(MATLAB)
Organic chemistry 2
Algebraic structure</p>
<p>Can you give me advice on my classes?
I know how hard ochem is, but, I have no idea about algebraic structure and MATLAB class.
Thank you!</p>
<p>If Algebraic Structures has anything to do with group theory then it’s going to be hell now but you’ll be thankful later in Advanced Inorganic and Physical Chemistry since you’ve already been tortured by that once. But if it doesn’t have anything to do with group theory then it’s just unnecessary torture.</p>
<p>My advice is to ditch the two extra double majors, turn them into minors, take only the classes in the extra two departments in which you’re actually interested, and use the rest of your time to do research, get involved in clubs that do fun stuff within your field, or try to get internships.</p>
<p>I think those majors are all soft skills majors. I’d rather see a hard skills major in there like engineering, computer programming something that provides you with bonafide skills for a job rather than something that says yea I’m very smart, analytical, numerate but have nothing concrete yet. That is a hard sell now a days. Employers are not willing to train and want someone with direct skills applicable to the job. Alternatively, do a ton of internships.</p>
<p>Yeah you can probably get any job you can get with any of the three majors by majoring in Chemical Engineering instead. And you can add a minor of your choice for fun.</p>
<p>Chemistry + Physics is better for stuff like physical electronics and materials science than ChemE IMO. I have no idea why you want to do a math major though. It’s just unnecessary torture and advanced math (crap like abstract algebra) has nothing to do with Chemistry or Applied Physics. Seriously, while you may use math alot in Chemistry and Physics you won’t need excessive higher math, just calculus+diffEQ+linear algebra’s fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for replies. I’m currently attending LAC, and that’s why I can’t study engineering directly. But, I really want to go to material science engineering or chemical engineering in grad school and also this is why I try to do triple major.
but, is it better to do one major and take helpful or engineering related science for grad school?</p>
<p>I totally agree with Last3Years about math major since you’ll be required to take useless Pure Mathematics classes that people study just for their intellectual curiosity and have little use in real world, let alone in Engineering. Just do a Math minor or take a few classes for elective. Take ones like Linear Algebra, Probability, and Differential Equations (maybe also Partial Differential Eq if offered). Also I don’t know if majoring in Physics is necessary, unless you really like Physics.</p>
<p>Physics is easy to pick up a degree in (not in difficulty of classes, they’re brutal, but the number of classes) and they might even let you substitute some Physical Chemistry classes for physics ones, and it’s pretty important to know more about programming, solid state electronics, thermodynamics (a different approach than chemical thermodynamics), electromagnetism and quantum mechanics for Materials Engineering. Totally useless for chemical engineering though.</p>
<p>Given the info on what you’re interested in, I’d still recommend either choosing to major in chemistry or physics, minoring in the other, and then taking calc 3d, differential equations, and linear algebra. You’d be a competitive applicant for many materials science graduate programs with that sort of background.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in more polymer/molecular/soft matter stuff, go with a major in chemistry. If you’re interested in semiconductors, metals, or “exotic” materials, go with physics. Get a minor in the other field focusing on the classes which are more interesting for you. For example, a class on molecular symmetry theory from chemistry would be more interesting to physicists than biochem.</p>