Hey! So I accepted to Ohio State as a Nutrition major back in December (EA). My only concern is how difficult/rigorous this major is and how I’ll be able to balance the many activities going on at OSU. I also want to work for OSU’s student newspaper, The Lantern, and I know that is a big time commitment. Is there anyone who has studied a rigorous/science major and been able to balance out other activities/social life? Also, if anyone is currently/or has studied nutrition, how is it?
Since when has Nutrition been considered a “rigorous” major?
Ditto @JustOneDad .
While nutrition is a relatively new field, I don’t think it’s necessarily considered “easy.” Many of the courses in nutrition include:
Interaction of microbiology and the human experience
Organic chemistry
Microbiology
Biochemistry
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
Molecular Life
This doesn’t sound rigorous to you? In fact, many Nutrition majors continue on to dental, optometry, and medical school. I don’t consider this easy. And if you do, then what’s considered “hard”?
@JustOneDad @GA2012MOM
Orgo and biochem are two classes that are required for medschool. I am not sure what those other classes are, maybe one might fulfill a bio. My daughter is a MS3, and general consensus is that Nutrition is not an “academic” degree that medschool adcoms would look at favourably.
You can consider it anything you want. It’s basically another name for “pre-med lite”. It’s in the college of Education, not Arts & Sciences and doesn’t even require a second half of organic chemistry.
As such, you will have to go on your own history with time management for this.
For example, does being on the newspaper require more or less time than a varsity athlete?
What did your daughter study for undergrad? I don’t know why Nutrition has an unfavorable representation. It’s a fundamental for really any health sciences and relates to disease prevention. From what I’ve heard, it provides excellent foundation for medical school. I even know people who didn’t even study science for their undergrad, but Business Administration or even English. Of course, they still had to take the prerequisite classes for medical school, but they still got into UNC Chapel Dental school/etc. granted they had a high GPA/research experience. @GA2012MOM
If you ever worked in Health Care, you would understand why.
You know, if you really do get into Med School, your undergraduate years are the last in which you are going to have much of any time for self-growth or academic curiosity. So, it’s great that you are considering the outside interest in Journalism.
If Nutrition is another interest, then by all means, go for it. It’s not like medical schools haven’t been assailed for not teaching enough of it.
I’m sure some people consider pre-med rigorous, but in the scheme of things, it doesn’t really stand out.
OP, a Nutrition degree or a Business Administration degree are thought of as a vocational degree. You can major in anything to go to med or dental school, but those types of degrees that you mention are heavily frowned upon. My daughter was a Classics major. There are tables on the AAMC website that will show you the breakdown of admits by major, and those you are talking about are at the bottom, hands down. Sorry I can’t link, on my phone.
nutrition is a wonderful major for anyone considering medical school and is certainly not a vocational degree!
I asked my D, and of 13 med school interviews she went on she didn’t see one nutrition or Business Admin major. I’m not saying it is a bad major, just a poor choice if one wants to go to med school. JMO, YMMV.
Aqautic18:
Congratulations on your acceptance to OSU!
My daughter is a freshman Biology (Genetics) major and has found the chemistry classes challenging.
In terms of finding a balance, she has been trying to do that. She did over commit first semester to various activities and had to cut back second semester, so it has been trial and error. Now she is more careful about obtaining an approximate time commitment prior to joining activities. I would contact the Lantern and inquire about the estimated time commitment. As you go to some of the incoming freshman orientations, you will be given an idea of how many hours of study are required for each hour of classroom time.
Good luck to you, and I sincerely hope that nutrition becomes a part of standard medical studies, we can no longer ignore the role it plays in human health.
OSUmom2018:
Thank you for being so kind and answering my question! I will contact the Lantern. I think balance is definitely something a lot of freshmen struggle with, so I want to make sure I prioritize.
I hope your daughter is having a great time at college 
While some may disagree, Nutrition does need to be a part of standard medical studies, it plays a vital role in many diseases/illnesses!
Good grief, nutrition IS a part of medicine, any Dr or med student that takes a patient history does ask about eating habits and counsels them as necessary.An entire undergrad degree about is is hardly necessary to be a physician. If you are that passionate about it, why not become a nutritionist?
No doubt that nutrition is difficult, but all the engineerings, the sciences, and the pure mathematics majors are more so, and if a good amount of people can balance those subjects with other stuff, so can you. Key thing would be to keep working for the newspaper, and only take on as many clubs as you think you can take, trial and error if you will.
GA2012MOM:
I never mentioned that I wanted to go on to medical school. I was only proving a point that nutrition is a difficult major and not as easy as some may think. Granted, I’m sure engineering and other majors are much more difficult, but nutrition is still pretty rigorous.
And thanks, Fluffy24!
Aqautic18:
There are so many opportunities at OSU, it can be enticing but overwhelming. There are over a 1000 clubs, volunteer activities galore, and so many other opportunities as well. (My D traveled to Israel over the Christmas break on an OSU related trip).
And the academics are different from high school. My D was a good student in high school, took many AP courses, etc. But college is not high school and requires more work. She also became involved in a number of volunteer activities at OSU which took up time. And has done some dating. And became active in a campus religious center,
and is on the Scholars and Honors Programming Board, etc etc.
So the second semester has been about really examining what is important to her. And the amount of time it all takes.
My D loves loves loves OSU. She is so happy there. But it is hard work and an adjustment, and prioritizing her time
is an important part of her learning curve.
I am sure you will find your way too. I think working at the Lantern sounds really neat, it is possible you can go talk to them on one of your orientations and begin to get some information about working there.