Bio Grad Students, what classes should undergrads take?

<p>I again recommend that you take multivariate. Depending on what you do, you may not need it though. It definately is a necessity if you will do any biochem/computational biology.</p>

<p>I would just brush up on calc and then take the next class in the sequence. This is definately possible. I skipped calc 2 (taught myself) entirely, and I still did well in the subsequent classes. If you feel that you should repeat the sequence, start w/ calc 2. Calc based physics is also a good way to review the math.</p>

<p>What are your primary research interests?</p>

<p>I am interested in pursuing a PhD in microbiology, though things are subject to change. Assuming I get credit from my AP Calc AB exam, should I still take CalcII and Stats in college? I never thought I would ever need to take multivariable! Also, should I take a computer science course? I just wanted to take a year of physics, math, the required chemistry, and then just take all of the delicious courses in biology. hehe Bad idea?</p>

<p>Helvetica - Yes, you should take Calc 2. Calc 2 is mostly integral calculus, taylor series, and an introduction into differential equations (or at least that’s what I had). Statistics is more important than calculus. I would suggest taking at least one semester of biostatistics if your school offers it. I HIGHLY recommend taking a little bit of programming in undergrad (C/C++ is fine and you can pick up python, perl or java later if necessary). It will make your life a million-times more interesting and also look very nice on your CV! I also think all science students should take an ethics or philosophy course and a research methods/design course (teaches invaluable things such as doing a literature review, recognizing plagiarism, preparing a manuscript/poster, designing an experiment, etc…).</p>