<p>What is the difference between double majoring in Biology and Chemistry as opposed to just Biochemistry? I would like to double major, mostly because I want more general knowledge and I think the required classes for each major overlap. I was also considering English, which is way off but I really wanted to study that too.. advice?</p>
<p>Chem, bio, and biochem are pretty close for the first two years, at least as far as the chemistry part of it is concerned. You’ll need to take general chem and organic for all three majors. Junior year things start to change. In chemistry you then get into physical chemistry, analytical, and inorganic. P-chem and analytical are more quantitative and mathematical (calculus in p-chem), and all three of these courses have a less direct bearing on life science. This is usually where the chem/bio double majors become bio majors because the coursework has not only gotten much harder, but has also veered too far from their main interest. A biochem major will probably still require p-chem and analytical, but may allow a biochem or upper division biology elective in place of inorganic.</p>
<p>Go with biochem…you’ll be doing too much overlapping if you double major.</p>
<p>A lot of times chem majors have to take extra semester of physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry which really sucks and isn’t usually req’d for biochem majors (who have to take two semesters of biochemistry instead). You don’t really want to be taking those extra classes ontop of all your bio stuff when you could just be a biochem major and still take all the bio classes you need/want without those upper level chem classes that don’t really have anything to do with bio or biochemistry. Also, bio is a lot of memorization and frankly, imo, bio classes are reallllyyy boring :)</p>