<p>I'm a freshman just finishing up my first year in college. I've taken two semesters each of biology and chemistry. I haven't declared yet, but I was thinking biology or biochemistry as a major. I can't see myself doing anything in the sciences (i.e. research), but I was considering health care (i.e. physicians assisstant, etc.).</p>
<p>I'm having cold feet about continuing down the science path though. My liking toward science is lukewarm at best. I hate labs more than my dog hates baths. I was sort of expecting that if someone graduated with a BS in a science, he or she would have a decent salary, since science majors seem to be on the more difficult end of the spectrum. But, no. Salaries average about $20k to $30k ish, same as if you graduated with a history degree. Doesn't seem as if it increases by much either. Looks as if a masters degree is worth it, but not a PhD. </p>
<p>It's not so much that I'm greedy; I'm just very conscious about financial security. I would like to have a family some day, and I would prefer not to have money problems. It would be alright if I thoroughly enjoyed science, but I definitely don't enjoy it enough to make $20k....</p>
<p>So, I don't know what to do. I could go into something health related. There is also patent law, perhaps. Or maybe I just need a new major field....preferably, before I agree on which organic chemistry class I'm going to take. I have considered biomedical engineering but I'm not sure if that's still an option for an undergrad....my scholarship wouldn't allow it. </p>
<p>I don't know what to do :( My head is spinning and I need to decide on a major soon...</p>
<p>Ha, I was actually thinking about that. I’m in a comp sci course right now and it’s going well…but my professor is on the generous side when it comes to grades (not that I’m complaining). I have no idea if I’m any good at it or not…and I’m not sure if I’d do well at the upper level math lol.</p>
<p>“and I’m not sure if I’d do well at the upper level math lol.”</p>
<p>Well nowadays, some schools are cutting back the math needed to major in CS. I know when I was in school (years ago), CS majors had to take Calc I,II,III, Diff-EQ, Linear Algebra and Prob/Stats.</p>
<p>U-Maryland (which has a nice CS program) only asks for Calc I, II + one math elective higher than Calc II.</p>
<p>A friend’s wife got her Phd in Bio from an Ivy last year and she wound up with a part-time job that didn’t pay particularly well. It’s been a tough job market the last few years but it appears that there is a large supply of bio majors coming from universities and that’s probably depressing salaries.</p>
<p>Majors in math, statistics, or computer science could keep you technical while virtually eliminating what you’re disliking about “labs”. Sure, there is some lab time in CS, but it’s not the same, and you know it. All three of the jobs can get you doing work in software or non-engineering work at an engineering firm. Software engineering pays very well, in particular, although the choice of company may severely affect job satisfaction.</p>
<p>You might also like engineering. Industrial and/or systems engineering is pretty hands-off as far as lab work goes, from what I understand.</p>
<p>Think there’s any way to combine computer science and biology? I don’t care for biology as a subject but I would like to do something that involves health care still…If I couldn’t be a doctor I wouldn’t mind being a physician’s assisstant. I just can’t deal with all this basic science that will help with MCATS and then be useless in my career…and I am really starting to like comp sci…though again, I’m not sure how I would compare with people at other schools because my professor isn’t too hard >_>.</p>
<p>The reason you see so low salaries out there for Biology, Chemistry or Physics is because they are not terminal degrees(i.e. no jobs for a B.S. in any of those fields). Those fields are the base for PHD studies or posibble enginnering fields. I have a BS in Physics and a M.S in Operations Reseach/Systems Engineering. If you really like biology or the health care industry but dont like the research part there are progams like Health Care management or you can combine some Computer Science with biology and get some statistics courses under your belt.</p>