<p>Currently, I am a freshman biology major at Cornell going on a pre-med track. I knew that coming in, the courseload would be difficult and that I wouldn't do as well as I expected and rightly so, last semester my GPA reached a level that I have never reached before. I came from a high school that didn't really prepare me for the rigor of the science courses. Currently, I'm taking both chemistry and cell biology and while I'm doing better and feeling a lot better about chemistry, cell biology is still giving me a lot of trouble. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any tips for doing well in biology? I try my best to keep up with the lecture readings, but come exam time, I really struggle to study properly and do well on the exam. The material just seems too in depth and I'm unsure of what exactly to study to be prepared. What exactly are my options to improve my biology grade? This class alone is seriously making me reconsider staying on a pre-med track. </p>
<p>Otherwise, I may switch to a chemistry major because I'm starting to become more interested in chemistry. Is being a chemistry major or a bio major harder? Depending on the a comparison of the two, it may affect my future choices.</p>
<p>The chemistry major may require more rigorous chemistry, physics, and/or math courses.</p>
<p>Note that both majors have relatively poor job and career prospects at the bachelor’s degree level.</p>
<p>No particular major is required to do pre-med, although if your GPA is low, you may not have much realistic chance of getting past the GPA screen at an MD school in the US.</p>
<p>If science is beating you down that much it may be time get a plan B. Without med school and with a low GPA and a science degree you will end up unemployed and totally screwed. I’d consider a practical business major such as accounting or HR.</p>
<p>Whether chemistry or biology is more difficult is really specific to each person and sometimes the university. I would go with whichever major you are more interested in. The more interested you are, the more likely you will be to pay attention, study and get better grades. </p>
<p>I second the statement that the job prospects for bio and chem and BA/BS level is not the best, so if you continue with one of those majors hoping to get in to med school make sure you have a viable plan B.</p>
<p>If your school has free tutoring, utilize it. Go to office hours if they are available. Analyze your study habits and figure out what is working and what is not. I personally find it helpful to try to explain things to other people. If you truly know it, then you can explain it. Focus on knowing concepts instead of just memorizing and regurgitating. The concepts can help you tease out answers and will be more beneficial in the long run (however, some classes really are strictly memorizing).</p>
<p>If you are still early in your college career, you have time to improve. There is often a learning curve for people the first semester, so if you improve from here on out it should help offset any poor grades you may have. You should also have time to retake classes if that is necessary.</p>
<p>Don’t go with either bio or chemistry, if you value your life. I am currently taking a couple of chemistry courses that chem majors need to take in order to satisfy my gen. ed requirements.(Don’t know why anyone has to take science courses if I’m not going to use it. Seems like a waste of time and money.) But I am at the point where I want to punch my Professor in the mouth for teaching so much theory, rather than practical applications to the real world. I realize that some theory is required, but honestly how much of that junk do you use outside of academia?</p>
<p>You’re better off using a Chemistry degree towards making illegal narcotics and then selling them to people who buy by the bulk (sort of like costco). </p>
<p>I was being serious. The only way to put a chemistry degree to use is to make illegal drugs and sell them in bulk.</p>
<p>Anyways, as for your question, it would be better if you went on the premed track as an Econ major.</p>
<p>Why? </p>
<p>Because a biology degree is not a good degree to fall back on. Also, there are so many biology majors applying to medical school. You need to stand out from the rest of those applicants.</p>
<p>I do not suggest chemistry as well. There will be more workload and this might have a negative impact on your gpa.</p>
<p>I say majoring in Econ with pre med reqs is the best way to go. You don’t have to deal with labs for upper level science courses like science majors do. The courses are relatively easy. Econ is a very versatile degree that you can fall back on if you don’t end up going to medical school. </p>
<p>You will also stick out from the numerous biology majors applying every year. Just make sure you put a lot of effort into your pre med requirements so your science gpa is high as possible. You will have less science courses contributing to your science gpa, thus every grade counts… A LOT.</p>