<p>how tough is the science program at duke?</p>
<p>Depends on the major, but no major is impossible. You can generally make any given major as easy or as hard as you want, within reason. Is there any one you are thinking of in particular?</p>
<p>biology or chem...most likely bio</p>
<p>heh both are tough because they are premed majors.. pretty competitive.</p>
<p>the intro bio class (25) is the hardest class that i took at duke</p>
<p>That's weird becuase Bio 25 was one of the easiest classes I have taked at Duke. I actually find the Chemistry department to be rather difficult and yet I am getting a minor in it. (why do I do these things to myself)</p>
<p>Overall the sciences at Duke are pretty good though, you just need to like the science you decide on. (I would kill myself before majoring in chem but sometimes wish I had decided to major in Bio instead of BME)</p>
<p>How hard is chem. I want to concentrate in biochem but I am not sure if I want to be a bio major w/ a biochem concentration or a chem major with w/ a biochem concentration. I going to be premed too.</p>
<p>Chemistry is pretty difficult, but if you enjoy it its totally worth it. I'd say the Biochemistry concentration is a pretty good deal, especially because you're going to end up picking up a Bio minor as well. I believe you have to take Biochem 227, Biochem 228, Bio 118, and Bio 119, as well as a semester of independent study, all of which would definitely be helpful on the MCAT/in med school, in my opinion.</p>
<p>The only thing I would consider is whether you really enjoy chemistry, because if you don't then it's probably worth it to go to the Biology route. Chemistry is a pretty restrictive major in that you don't have 5 required courses and then get the option of picking 5 random electives, like many others. You have to take PChem, which I hear is quite the, um, adventure? SO if you enjoy Biology I'd suggest that route. Chemistry is definitely a difficult major...rigorous to say the least...but its doable and if you enjoy chemistry its definitely well worth it.</p>
<p>I just finished my junior year as a chemistry major. It definitely is a tough major, but it is really enjoyable. Professors are great and accessible, facilities are amazing now that we moved from Gross Chem to the French Science Center, and other chemistry majors are very down to earth. Labs get kind of annoying and time consuming. Biochem seems to be a very popular option among chem majors.</p>
<p>Yeh, I know I have nothing but respect for chem majors because I know I couldn't do it. (BME!) But don't let the fact that the major is tough turn you off of the major because as duke25 said, the chem department is one of the better ones on campus in terms of the people that you deal with and their desire to teach you. I know that even though I have had a hell of a time with Orgo I have really liked all of my professors in chem and they run their classes in a very reasonable and humane manner. (while some test my have averages like 38/150 the professors still grade really fairly and don't want to see you fail if you can be helped)</p>
<p>Overall I love the chem department I really do. I just don't like chemistry that much. (an interesting coincidence is that I absolutly loath the math department yet I actually enjoy, or enjoyed before I got to Duke anyway, Math, I even used to read about complex math in my spare time)</p>