Chemistry major <-need career advices!

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi, I'm a senior majoring in Chemistry and with a minor in Math. My graduation is impending and what really worries me is that I do not like Chemistry, or science in general, anymore. If Chemistry major was at least financially rewarding I would have forced myself to like it and look for Research Assistant jobs in Chemistry. On the other hand, I really like Math, and I feel much more comfortable with it, except I'm not interested in Pure Math and I stayed away from classes like Abstract Math. I think the perfect major for me would be Applied Mathematics in concentration in something like economics or whatever, but it's too late.</p>

<p>I thought about getting a second B.S or M.S in Chemical Engineering but I don't think I still have enough energy to study another very difficult discipline and also it's not like it has nothing to do with science. Also I heard its job market is declining. But this is definitely what I have considered for my major if I could go back in time.</p>

<p>Other plans I thought about: work in Biotech industry and maybe get an MBA and move up the corporate ladder. I actually have done an research internship in some Life Science lab, though I did it b/c of my pre-med concentration (I'm not pre-med anymore). Is this a good career path?</p>

<p>Other few things:
-I can't do computers. I took an intro java class as an elective but I did very poorly. Zero aptitude. So anything that has to do with programming is out of equation.
-So is becoming an actuary because I really don't like Probabilities =(. I just like things like Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations lol. Also, I don't want to study for exams that half of applicants can't pass for 400 hours each.</p>

<p>So right now I'm applying for business-related jobs that look for Science or Math majors (or even other decent ones looking for all majors) through my school's career website. But if job doesn't work out what would be a good grad school of my choice? Is getting "Master's in Applied Mathematics" a good idea? I googled it but not many showed up.</p>

<p>Thank you for reading, any inputs are welcome!!</p>

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<p>Uhm, you seem to be limiting yourself quite a bit.</p>

<p>Also, FYI, pretty much all applied mathematics is conducted by means of computer nowadays (did you think people still numerically integrate things by hand?). I’ve spent a good 30 hours a week coding for some Applied Math problem sets in grad school.</p>

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<p>Yea, any math worth doing for money is done with computers since they’re so much more powerful and cost effective. The exception is pure math where people are trying to derive new theories, and even then there’s a fair deal of computation.</p>

<p>Things like calculus are fairly basic, and the types of differential equations people hire other people to solve are likely too difficult to be analytical and therefore must be solved numerically, i.e. with a computer.</p>

<p>The thing is, in this day and age, you need to know at least some programming to work in math and science since it’s not cost effective to solve everything by hand. Maybe you could look into teaching or maybe consulting–the latter appreciates analytical abilities but don’t require it on a day to day basis.</p>

<p>Or try a more mathematical programming language, like Matlab. It’s more specialized than java but it’s just as good if not better for doing calculations. I don’t know if Mathematica or Maple count a languages, but look into those too. Proficiency with these might be good enough.</p>