<p>Well I really just wanted some information on being a math major at duke. I have always been excellent in math, the best in my classes, not going to go into detail though because I expect I will hear about someone who has won all of these competitions and has something unbelievable. I was just wondering how hard it is to get good grades as a math major since I hope to be pre med. I am really good at math and also like it a lot, how hard is it?</p>
<p>Trust me, everyone thinks they’re really good at math and then takes a couple math classes here and realize it’s nothing like high school math. Obviously it’s doable though if you really like it, but I don’t think you really know if you like true math until you start taking some actual math major classes.</p>
<p>Math 32 (calc 2) and Math 103 (calc 3) are often quoted as the most failed by number of students and most failed as a percentage of students taking the class, respectively. I don’t mean to turn you off of math, but that’s the reality. But as arzachel said, high school math and college math are two distinct things. You can’t tell how you’ll adjust to it without trying it yourself.</p>
<p>ok thanks, and after you do those introductory classes does it get easier? because I am debating between a math major and a bio major</p>
<p>I’m guessing that by the nomenclature of “premed4” you are leaning towards medicine. Maybe you should focus on Bio…you can always take higher math alongside too then. If you aren’t particularly confident about your major, it is time that you visit Duke and speak with its departments. In that occassion, you can even meet your future professors and get a better feel for what your major may involve. CC people can only tell you so much…but personal experience will provide you with a better perspective.</p>
<p>Bio will probably help more since med schools have bio requirements (2 semesters w/lab) and it might help with the MCAT. But bio majors are pretty common and it might be hard to stand out. Math majors, by comparison, are kinda rare and in demand in things like intelligence, cryptography, financial modelling, etc.</p>
<p>In the end, just take what you like. You’ll have a much better time.</p>
<p>Duke also has a minor in Computational Biology and a certificate in Systems Biology.They’re both math/programming heavy, and if you’re interested in both math and bio, these tracks might be an appealing option. Otherwise, the consensus here is that you should take as few math classes as possible here (at least at an introductory level). If you have calculus III credit, use it and place out.</p>
<p>If you’re considering a math major and you have BC calc credit, you should definitely do the 104-105 route instead of the 103-104 sequence (see the math department website if you don’t know what I’m talking about). 104 will show you what a “true” upper-level math class is like, in terms of proofs and abstraction (or at least I’ve been told).</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I’m taking 104 right now, and I think it’s great. It’s difficult, yes, but the midterms are fairly easy (at least compared to the brutally hard homework) and my prof is always willing to talk about hard homework problems during office hours.</p>
<p>my SAT score is 2140…
CR 610
M 800
W 730
n this was from the november2010 session…
i seriously want to apply to duke
Should i give it again in January2011??
btw im an international student!! n i have to send my commonapp by 1st jan2011</p>
<p>i know this is not the right thread to be asking this but plz help me out!</p>
<p>First of all to maidenfan1 you can start a new thread for that. Also I was wondering, is there a general consensus for which is harder to achieve good grades in? I am willing to put in a lot of effort and work hard if it means it will help me get good grades and make my dreams of med school a reality, but, what I will not do is work my butt of in a class only to still not be able to get a good grade. Does anyone have any opinions on which is easier to get a good grade in? (Not easier but gives out more good grades to the hard working students)</p>
<p>I know nothing about the bio major, but for math you have to work really hard AND be good at it. If you lack either one you probably won’t do very well.</p>
<p>The bio major, I think, is 10 classes above 100-level. There might be some restrictions or requirements, but for the most part it’s pretty flexible. Because of that, you could have an easy time just by picking the easy bio classes. For intro classes and those with lots of premeds, it could get competitive (though not cut-throat like at some other places).</p>
<p>Usually, the harder classes curve toward the B/C cutoff so half the class will get a C or a D (this is assuming the class average is below the B/C cutoff), but this varies by professor and by class. They might curve higher or they might not curve at all. Very rarely do I hear of a prof who curves down, however.</p>
<p>im new here i dont know how to…
plzz can anyone temmeee</p>
<p>as in answer my question!
btw im also going for a math major…
so plzzz</p>
<p>maidenfan1, you need to create your own post</p>
<p>If you didn’t know…Duke allows you to create your own major. For example, if you are interested in math and bio, you can combine those two subjects and basically ask the admissions ppl/Duke counselor to have the major approved. A good amount of students at Duke do this and this free power is one of the many things unique about the university. You don’t necessarily have to choose just ONE subject to major in. I’m sure that being a math major…it might become hard for you to catch up in med school…so keep that in mind b/c if you want to be a doctor, you also will have to get yourself involved in medicine before med school. ;)</p>
<p>One thing of note: Program II majors are not approved by admissions. You must devise a plan with your faculty adviser then submit an application detailing your course plan as well as make “the intellectual case” for your major to the Program II committee of the Arts & Sciences Council of Trinity CAS. Only when that is approved does your major become official. </p>
<p>Since I don’t know anyone who has gone this route, my speculation is that the whole approval process can take at least a semester to a year.</p>
<p>ok, thanks, I might consider doing that, are most people who do pre-med at duke constantly studying? or do they have enough free time to do fun things and party and enjoy college?</p>
<p>It depends on the person, but you can do both, i.e. study all day, party on the weekends. Premed classes like bio or orgo tend to not have much work aside from readings week to week, and the grade is determined by the midterms and the final, maybe a paper. Some people study all the way through, others wait until the exam and cram in the days before. It depends on what works best for you. Math classes, however, are of the type where you turn in problem sets every week. That’ll greatly increase the workload, but it allows more of a buffer for your grade in case you mess an exam up.</p>
<p>Speaking of orgo, I’ve seen people carrying around the textbook with them wherever they go, reading it whenever they get a chance (between classes, during lunch). They’re probably in the minority. Once, I went to a comedy show (Eliot Chang) and a guy in the audience had his orgo textbook and was studying while waiting for the show to start. Eliot called him out on it, everyone had a laugh. This is by no means indicative of the “average” premed, it’s just a funny thing that happened once.</p>
<p>haha, ok thanks. I was getting worried because I was hearing all these things about how pre med students basically just set in their rooms and study 24/7</p>