<p>I am really debating between becoming a microbio major or a biochem major.
I am going to be a junior next quarter and i'm supposed to make a decision by then.
From what I have learned and experienced, I really enjoyed topics related to microbio and cellular/molecular bio. On the other hand, I hated organic chemistry with all my guts. But some people told me that I shouldn't let one subject (o-chem) defeat my will of becoming a biochemist, but I suppose I really would be happier learning what I like. Since I haven't taken any biochem classes, I would like to ask those of you who have about how similar organic chemistry and biochemistry are. Does biochem require a lot of basic knowledge you learned from organic chemistry??</p>
<p>What are the differences in curriculum for the next two years? I imagine they would not be too different. At my college, micro means a couple more courses in bacterial physiology and genetics, while biochem people take quant and pchem instead (I hear those 2 are pretty different from oChem).</p>
<p>What was it that you so disliked about organic chemistry? Is it the fastidious nature of the reactions? the large amounts of memorization? the lack of obvious applicability?</p>
<p>Yes biochem, particularly following metabolic pathways requires skills you learn in organic chemistry. Remember sn2 reactions, esterification, hydrolysis and so on? Biochemistry gives you a biological context for understanding these reactions.</p>
<p>More to the point, you will have to take both biochem and microbiology as general prereqs no matter which biological major you end up in. I would make the decision based on all the classes you take in each, the respective departments, types of research available to you at your school.</p>
<p>FWIW, I liked both but did my undergrad and Phd in Micro.</p>
<p>The difference in curriculum is pretty much what you stated up there.
But also, biochem majors take a more in depth series of biochem classes than microbio majors.</p>
<p>Well I disliked o-chem because I really can’t apply my set of logic to solve the synthesis problems. It’s not like math where I can use one set of rules to solve many problems. All I could do was to memorize equations, but I’m a lousy memorizer. And yes, I really couldn’t see an obvious application of o-chem. But I suppose biochem would be a little better since it can be applied to biological systems.</p>
<p>Being a microbio major has a choice of a shorter/shallower biochem curriculum, and my concern is that I might do bad in the more in depth/ longer biochem curriculum, so I am trying to figure out how much the longer biochem curriculum would hurt me considering my not-so-pretty o-chem grades.</p>
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It’s called plug and chug. unless you major in physics. then it’s advance plug and chug </p>
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You start at point A and want to get to point F. It’s valuable skill to learn when there isn’t just one bridge, but multiple ones and you need to figure out which ones get you where. </p>
<p>Also, if you’re a poor memorizer, does that bode poorly for a microbio major? I figured biochem would be much more towards conceptual understanding/qualitative analysis. Can someone else chime in?</p>
<p>Well in biochem you would have to at least 3 org chem classes, in micrio bio you wouldnt. And yes i believe that while biochem is more focused on conceptual understanding you still have a huge course load of memorization.</p>
<p>“Also, if you’re a poor memorizer, does that bode poorly for a microbio major?”</p>
<p>I suppose you’re right. But somehow I can remember things in bio better since I’m more interested in it.</p>
<p>No problem with that I can remember more bio then organic chemistry. Honestly micro sounds like you. If you hate remember every single picky step and process you will hate biochem. </p>
<p>As for orgo it’s not a lot in it and I don’t know why everyone hated it. I learn all of orgo in 10 weeks and aced it. It’s one of those things you suck up and go one with. But like someone said it’s not over all of those mechanism will come back and haunt you.</p>