<p>I am an English girl. I like reading and writing and I hate science and math…but for some reason I LOVED the genetics portion of Biology last year. Especially the whole…finding out why I have blue eyes type of thing. I mean, I have never enjoyed a subject that much before. And…I don’t know…it confused me! So now I have some questions about genetics. </p>
<li><p>Is it normal for this kind of thing to happen?</p></li>
<li><p>Are there any colleges that are good in genetics AND writing?</p></li>
<li><p>What kind of jobs could a genetics major get?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You'd be better off trying something like Symbolic Logic or basic programming, and staying far away from the biology (and chem, too -- no matter how fun inorganic naming and drawing the little diagrams are!).</p>
<p>What you're working with are very simple representations of simple systems (Punnett squares don't really work in people). Logic and programming are like that -- with out the messiness of science being involved (I'm not a hard science person whatsoever and I enjoyed them).</p>
<p>But if you're very serious about genetics and writing (which I think is a bad idea for you) I think Oberlin would be a school to look into.</p>
<p>Well I actually really like chemistry too. The ONLY science class that I have enjoyed so far. I think it is because it reminds me of taking a potions class in Harry Potter though....But it is really hard and probably my toughest class, but it is the most interesting. Like the way you can combine things to create a totally new substance.</p>
<p>Blythe, Sarah Lawrence is very strong in writing and has a graduate program in Human Genetics. That wouldn't really help you as an undergrad -- but Sarah Lawrence has a very individualized approach to education, where you work closely with a prof in every class to develop an individual project or paper -- so for example if you took a biology class and wanted to do a paper on a topic related to genetics, you certainly would be in a place where you might have access to a lot of resources. Your reason for your interest in chemistry sounds like a good fit for Sarah Lawrence, too -- you would certainly have more leeway to explore "potions" - such as a project exploring specific types of chemical reactions-- than with a more traditional college.</p>
<p>So do you think it was your school environment that caused you to like genetics or do you think you inherited the interest from your parents? :)</p>
<p>Just so you know, I took Human Molecular Genetics in the Age of Genomics this semester which involved zero Punnett squares. There isn't that much to learn about them (and, as noted above, nothing is ever that simple) so you won't be doing too much with Punnett squares after an intro to bio class.</p>
<p>Of course you wouldn't choose a college based on a single class ... but ... I second Calmon's suggestion of Sarah Lawrence College. You might be interested in a career in genetic counseling (shortage of qualifed genetic counselors out there right now, especially outside of the major urban centers). Genetic counselors prepare patient reports and good writing skills are HIGHLY VALUED. See info cut-and-pasted from Sarah Lawrence Website below:</p>
<p>"Genetic counselors work as members of a health-care team, providing information and support to families that have members who have birth defects or genetic disorders, or who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. They identify families at risk, interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence, discuss the risks, benefits, and limitations of genetic testing, review available options with families and provide supportive counseling. They also serve as patient advocates, educators, administrators, researchers and resource people for health-care professionals and the public.</p>
<p>In 1969, Sarah Lawrence College established the first program in human genetics in the United States. It remains the largest program of its kind in the country and has trained half of the nations genetic counselors, including the directors of many other human genetics programs in the United States and Canada. Sarah Lawrence alumnae/i also serve as the sole genetic counselors in several nations of South and Central America, Europe, and the South Pacific. The program strives to identify and train future genetic counselors who diversify the professional community and represent minority populations."</p>
<p>emeraldkity4 - I was in training with Janis Shampay, now a prof at Reed <a href="http://academic.reed.edu/biology/professors/jshampay/">http://academic.reed.edu/biology/professors/jshampay/</a>. In addition to being an all-round nice approachable scientist, she'll be able to advise your D about genetic counseling (JS did post-doc in a Dept of Medical Genetics). Physicians with specialty board training in Medical Genetics generally run the show; the genetic counseling depts are usually overseen by a director with a PhD; but the vast majority of staff working with patients and families are M.S. genetics counselors.</p>
<p>Reed has an excellent science department and also good writing. </p>
<p>If you're finding you like chemistry and you enjoyed the genetics (which I also find fascinating, and not just for Punnett squares), you should make sure you take some physics (if you haven't already), because it also has that mathematical precision to it that shows up in genetics and chemistry. You may find you're secretly a highly creative theoretical scientist---or perhaps a scientific writer.</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone!
haha@NJres
Genetic Counseling sounds interesting. I would definitely be up to more than just Punnett squares....it was one of the few times that I WISHED we could have learned more about! I was thinking that maybe there was a job where I could look at someone with...lets say cancer...and I could try and find the reason for their sickness by looking at their genetic make up? Or perhaps I could try to find some type of cure...that would be combinding genetics and chemistry...right?</p>
<p>I am just thinking off the top of my head here though. I will look into Sarah Lawrence, and I had already been considering Reed. </p>
<p>I am going to pick a school that is good for writing, but I definitely want to take some genetic and chemistry classes in college also. </p>
<p>you might be interested in biochem, I think that is what D is becoming more interested in although she is also very interested in animal behavior. Reed is very cool, since it is small enough that your friends are usually outside your dept, even though the sciences are one of the largest depts in the college.
However- at a really small school like Reed, it can be difficult when your favorite professor goes on sabbatical, might not be anyone to teach those types of classes next year. But with the thesis you do get to work closely with the profs, and really get a sense of being a scientist, not just taking science classes.
there are many schools that are good in sciences however-
not just the big universities but also Carleton, Macalester- Uchicago- come to mind as well as Holyoke, Smith, Oberlin and williams.
Are you in the UK?
you may change your mind by the time you are ready to come to college ( I am assuming you are a junior?)
I agree that if you are interesting in the logic side of genetics, you may want to find out more about that- although you will need to be quite a bit of math in whatever sciences you do. HOwever I have been told, that higher level math, is much more interesting and fun, than the lower level math, I am stuck at- so try to perservere.</p>
<p>Reed also has a good tutoring program for students who need help- that may be worth checking out, most school have help available, but I know from experience, some are more helpful than others</p>