So I am a junior in high school, but I go to my local community college full-time. I have narrowed down my options for my major(s) when I transfer, but I need some advice. So I plan on majoring in Neuroscience AND Physics. However, I heard double majoring might hinder me in the future. However, could I just major in physics and go to graduate school for neuroscience (if I take a couple biology courses)? I hear all the time how physicists go into neuroscience work. Please help?
I’m not sure why you think double majoring might hinder you in the future. A double major in two difficult fields could be quite a stretch, however.
As you noted, you could apply to graduate school in neuroscience with an undergrad major in physics. As you also noted, it might be helpful to have some biology coursework. Some chemistry coursework would be advisable, too.
You also might consider a biophysics major, either as a standalone or interdisciplinary major, or as a specialty track within a physics major.
Double majoring won’t hinder your future, so if you are planning to do so you should continue to do that.
You could, in theory, go to graduate school for neuroscience if you major in physics. However, you would need to take substantial coursework in biology and neuroscience - probably close to the equivalent of a major.
You would also be competing with people who majored in neuroscience and biology in undergrad. I’m a psychologist. If I had to pick a graduate student and was choosing between two otherwise equally accomplished people - one who majored in psychology and one who majored in political science with a few psychology classes - I’m going to pick the psychology major, because I can be reasonably sure that she has a broad undergraduate foundation in my field and is more likely to succeed at the graduate-level classes. (It would be more of a toss-up for the political science major who took a lot of psychology courses - at least 6-7 - and had a clearly articulated reason why they chose to combine the study of political science and psychology.)
I’m not sure why, if you already know that you want to go to graduate school in neuroscience, you would want to major in physics? Unless you want to go into biophysics or medical physics. Or unless you are just super fascinated by physics, which is really awesome - but you should double-major in both or minor in physics or just take a bunch of cool electives in physics.
Yes you can major in physics and go to grad for neuro, however, a lot of classes between the two will cross over, so you won’t be taking that many extra credits, therefore you will in no way be hindering your future or feel extremely overwhelmed with the course work.