<p>No, not the kind where I'm going to go all goth and start wearing creepy makeup. It's the kind where I wonder if I'm cut out to be doing what I'm doing. </p>
<p>See, all my life I've always considered myself a math/science person. Even when I didn't like math and disliked any sciences except biology--the thought of evolution could always get me rolling ( kudos if you get that reference)</p>
<p>But today I was arguing with my friend about sciences and stuff and she said you don't like physics/chemistry--"you don't like Science)</p>
<p>So, I thought to myself-- maybe I'm not a science person. I'm failing both chemistry and physics
all the physics teachers are laughing at me and I fail to "get it" I feel like all my classmates are organisms from outer space who understand the kinetic theory and why the acid disassociation constant must be this way. I mean I take advanced chemistry and physics but I feel like the idiot in the room. And while its fun to be stupid, it gets old. </p>
<p>Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out for science or if I should discard all my work and become a language teacher or something.</p>
<p>But, I don't believe that the languages and humanities have any practical worth. yes, i know that saying ( don't know your history, your are doomed to repeat it) and I enjoy reading (a lot) . But personally, I think humanities are useless, a fine art, an avocation if you will...</p>
<p>Yes, I know we have to communicate and have literacy and all that jazz but, honestly, do you see any new innovations being developed in the humanities ? Our society shows how much we value things by how much money we pay people for their services. How much money do we pay the majority of people who work in the humanities? </p>
<p>Its only the top actors ( who are honestly, just paid to look good) and the best writers ( one of of a hundred) who actually make any real money.</p>
<p>And I am honestly not that inspired by either acting or writing a book ( it bores me).</p>
<p>“Its only the top actors ( who are honestly, just paid to look good) and the best writers ( one of of a hundred) who actually make any real money.”</p>
<p>Its only the lucky researchers that make ground breaking discoveries. 1 in 100 physicists/chemists/biologists discover something important enough to get recognition and big bucks. Scientific research is NOT where the big bucks are to be made. If that’s what you want, go into something else. </p>
<p>Regardless, struggling in a class or two does not mean you cannot pursue a career in science. It just means you are going to have to work for it and work hard. If science is what you are really interested in, pursue it. If its not, pursue something else. </p>
<p>If you are just looking to make money, maybe you should consider being a lawyer, since that is a job that is heavy in the humanities and gets paid a lot. There are a lot of other jobs out there like that, you just don’t know about them. But money shouldn’t be your prime motivator for a career. How dull life must be for people that work just for money.</p>
<p>You may not be cut out to be doing AP Chem/Physics (as evidenced by your failing) but that certainty doesn’t preclude you from making contributions to science (in molecular biology or evolutionary theory or w/e) or exploring it. Advancing science is way different than taking HS courses. </p>
<p>From my experience those classes do not test very deep conceptual understanding. I think it is one thing to get an A, but another (and a very different sort of thing that takes different skills) to <em>really</em> understand the material. To get an A you mostly need to do Hw, complete procedural labs, and efficiently solve a certain limited variety of problems in a mechanical, learned, way. These requirements are quite different from those required to do the sort of science that gets all the things discovered that we’re superficially learning.</p>
<p>It’s obviously easier to pursue science if one succeeds in those classes though, which is the difficult thing. I am failing AP chem atm, and barely passed AP physics last year, so my tentative plan is to major in math (because I am confident I will succeed there, plus I have some interest as well) and self study molecular biology on the side. Because I am afraid that if I chose a science major I would not perform well in the classes. Also the thing about science (and especially biology) is that there is so much to know, and so many levels of depth it can be taught at, etc, that I’m not sure I would be interested (or if I would already know) what I would be learning in those classes. </p>
<p>Anyways, I can understand why you might feel like your having a sort of identity crises (I have felt similarly in the past). But really I don’t think there’s so much to worry about. It’s a really really good sign that you seem to have such a genuine interest in evolution. I think that is special, and what actually counts in the long run.</p>
<p>enfieldacademy, that was a really good post. Thanks. I think that no one TRULY <em>understands</em> the science subjects they are acing in HS. To truly be good at something, one must spend at least 10,000 hours doing it!</p>
<p>I had gotten an consistent A in honors chemistry last year yet I realized I have no true grip on the subject. Science requires hours and hours and hours of reading, exploring, doing problems that are NOT high school level…</p>
<p>I understand what you mean. I have always loved science, but this year I have had a terrible experience in AP Bio. It’s not that I don’t understand it, it is just that my teacher always gets of topic and we don’t learn anything. Then we have these huge tests that don’t have anything to do with what we managed to cover in class. After getting a C- on the first test, I felt really stupid. I thought maybe I wasn’t cut out for science. Then I rediscovered my true reason for wanting to major in biochemistry and go to med school: neurosurgery. I read about it and remembered why it fascinated me so much. I bought some study materials and have been self-studying AP Bio. Now I feel a lot better about science.I would advise you to do the same thing. Remind yourself why you love science and what your goals are. You will be able to pass chemistry and physics if you work hard. Once you pass those classes, you can take more advanced biology classes if that’s where your interests lie.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree. I have repeatedly found the same thing too. I think the problem (with honors chem, at least) is that to make the class accessible, and yet at the same time as complex and impressive as possible, a lot of what gets taught is fairly intricate applications of the concepts. But the thing is, we learn the concepts so superficially that we can only apply them to a certain familiar set of problems, and suddenly it doesn’t seem explorative like science is supposed to be anymore, but confined. And why this is, probably, is that most kids can learn and understand procedures a whole lot better than they can follow conceptually rich explanations. </p>
<p>So I think the current curriculum fails in terms of engendering a passion of science in those scientifically inclined, or even equipping them for more advanced study. I don’t see it as harmful, exactly, because I think most of the kids with an aptitude for scientific thinking end up seeing behind the misleading picture of science, as it is presented in these classes. But not all do. Murray Gell-Mann, who got the nobel prize in physics and discovered (and predicted) the existence of quarks, and so on, admittedly did not do well in the physics he had in high school. It was only because of his Dad who convinced him to give it another try (who told him that it was actually interesting, and something he would appreciate), that he ended up enrolling in a physics major, and getting a more genuine picture of what the subject was.</p>
<p>Wow, that’s really inspirational. Maybe I’ll major in physics as well even though I sort of hate my current physics class. The system…is screwed up. We can do so much better than this with so much bright minds currently confined to stupid textbooks and boring, empty lessons…</p>
<p>^What you learn in high school a lot of the time is just superficial knowledge. You have to learn the basics before you get your hands dirty with the highly conceptual, deep-thought material.</p>
<p>@Francaisalamatt: yeah, that’s a good point. Definitely some sort of balance of the two is optimal, taking into consideration the danger of deterring any students that would otherwise excel at the subject.</p>
Nah, asking questions is good. I do it all the time and I get a lot of ***** for it too. Told that i’m slowing down the class and what not, but in the end I stood by my choice and it worked out for me. Don’t be intimidated by these people as it is more important to learn than to sit there not knowing what’s going on. </p>
<p>True story from someone who went through the same experience.</p>
<p>Just because you’re failing now doesn’t mean you can’t do it. People aren’t inborn with the ability to do physics as an infant, right? You’ll just have to do more of it and try harder.</p>
<p>Now as to not knowing whether or not to do liberal arts or science, follow Borodin(that guy, right?)'s example. Composed very famous classical music and was also a chemist.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. That really helps. Maybe you are right, a lot of my classes are very material focused and not really very inspiring. I hope I figure it out. I like science, ( not really for money) but its potential to make discoveries that change and warp the universe as we see it. I mean computers completely changed the world. So will the ability to travel into deep space ( I can hope can’t I ?)</p>
<p>I know how “hard” humanities is because it has always come easily to me and while I respect literature and so on and so forth. I truly believe (this is just my belief here and not a fact) that humanities doesn’t have the world changing power that science does. To me science is an endless realm of possibility and humanities seem to have nothing interesting or new to say. Note : opinions may change.</p>
<p>That said: I am a relunctant acknowledger of Ka and Kb, porkperson. I have no choice-- they rule my life.</p>