<p>Hi! So I'm a sophomore currently majoring in biochemistry. I was in chemistry with a concentration in pre-med, but I've since decided that med school wasn't for me and, as a result, haphazardly switched my major to biochem. I'm fairly certain that I want to pursue a PhD after undergraduate and eventually teach at a university. However, I realize that I need to be passionate about whatever field I pursue to do that. Honestly, I don't think I'm passionate about chemistry, and especially not biology. Actually, biology was always my least favorite science in grade/high school, and I didn't enjoy biology I and II that much. I'm in organic chem right now and have realized that I'm not looking forward to continuing on this path. My favorite subject has always been math; I excel in it and have loved all of my calculus classes (up to multivariable). I'm one of those nerds who actually enjoyed their math homework. So I ask all biochem and math majors out there: why did you choose your major? What are upper level biochem and math classes like? What personality traits are important for your major? And do you think I should switch?</p>
<p>I chose my major because I love doing math. I was on the pre-pharmacy path and I did not like it one bit. </p>
<p>The upper-level math classes separate the boys and girls from the men and women. If you like doing proofs and are good at them, math is for you. I would not say Calc/Linear Algebra/Diffy Q performance are a good indicator of how you’ll perform in the math major. If you can do well in a proofs class, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>If you like math and dislike biology and chemistry, why are you even considering staying in biochemistry? Biology, chemistry, and biochemistry tend to have worse job prospects than math anyway*.</p>
<p>However, as noted above, upper division math courses involve proving theorems. In some math departments, a lower division course on proof techniques may be offered, or that may be included in a discrete math course. If you took honors lower division math courses in college, those may have also included proofs.</p>
<p>*Because math major degree programs often do not have lots of requirements, it is often possible and desirable for math majors to take electives in an area of application of math, such as statistics, economics/finance, and/or computer science, in order to improve job prospects.</p>
<p>I have not had any proofs classes yet, although in doing a bit of research, they seem like something I would enjoy.
I guess my main holdup in switching majors is that I haven’t taken any biochemistry classes yet (they’re not until junior year). How do I know if I would like them?
Can I get some input from any biochem majors?
Oh, and thank you for the replies!</p>
<p>Actually, you don’t have to have a lot of “proof” courses to be a math major. You can also look at applied math which is usually more marketable than the traditional math major. I was a computational math major and after the Calculus I,II,III/Linear Algebra/Diff-Eq sequence, I had only had one required proof-mostly course called Advanced Calculus which was a “real analysis light” course. The rest of my math courses consisted of combinatorics, graph theory, optimization and numerical analysis.</p>
<p>For some reason…probably after drinking a bottle of Henny…something possessed me to take a proof-based course called computational complexity as an elective for additional un-needed punishment.</p>
<p>bump 
Any biochem majors?</p>
<p>If you are not passionate about chemistry, and dislike biology, why would you think that you will like biochemistry more than math, which you describe as your favorite subject?</p>
<p>Or is there a back story, like parental pressure for you to major in biochemistry or do pre-med? (You can do pre-med as a math major.)</p>
<p>@GLOBALTRAVELER</p>
<p>That may have been true for you, but I don’t think many colleges will let you earn a math degree (pure or applied) without taking plenty of proof-based courses. That would be like a natural sciences major not having any lab course requirements.</p>
<p>Only one proof class?</p>
<p>I’m an applied math major and I have to take a good dose of proof classes. I think 6 to earn my degree plus the applied classes. Here’s the list of what I have to take for this and next year math-wise</p>
<hr>
<p>Mathematics of Operations Research I
Mathematics of Operations Research II
Partial Differential Equations I
Partial Differential Equations II
Applied Probability Theory
Applied Statistics
Set Theory
Introduction to Numerical Methods
Graph Theory
Combinatorics
Abstract Algebra I
Abstract Algebra II
Complex Analysis
Real Analysis I
Real Analysis II</p>
<p>GLOBALTRAVELER mentioned Michigan State in other posts.</p>
<p>There, the computational math major requires two presumably proof-heavy courses (one each in abstract algebra and analysis). The math major requires four presumably proof-heavy courses (two each in abstract algebra and analysis). The advanced math major requires the honors versions of the four presumably proof-heavy courses that the math major requires.</p>
<p>[MSU</a> RO:Academic Programs: Computational Mathematics - Bachelor of Arts](<a href=“http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.asp?Program=3753]MSU”>http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.asp?Program=3753)
[MSU</a> RO:Academic Programs: Mathematics - Bachelor of Arts](<a href=“http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.asp?Program=3744]MSU”>http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.asp?Program=3744)
[MSU</a> RO:Academic Programs: Mathematics, Advanced - Bachelor of Arts](<a href=“http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.asp?Program=7114]MSU”>http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.asp?Program=7114)</p>
<p>Of course, majors and requirements may have changed between then and now.</p>