Will math be my weak link?

College Majors Science Majors
1

<p>I am really worrying about whether I will ever be good at the sciences. I have a dream of studying Biology (maybe a double with physics, chemistry, or chemical engineering), but I really worry about the fact that I am not really very good at math at all.</p>

<p>I know I am still a junior in high school, so I may be a late bloomer, but I can't help but get a nagging feeling that maybe I really am mean't to major and work in some aspect of the humanities, not sciences. On the SAT I have 780s for math and writing but only a 680 for math (I am retaking, I have only taken it once). In school I have above 95 averages for all my classes except for Calc BC, in which I got a semester grade of 87 which I feel really bad about (even in physics I have above a 95, but its only Physics B so I don't think it is really a reflection on my math skills). I also didn't do so hot when I took Biology freshman year, at least in the first half of the year, because I had to learn new study habits and understand the fact that yes biology is a science but that doesn't mean that everything is intuitive and not memorization based. But now I am taking AP Biology and loving it.</p>

<p>I have always felt draw to Biology; I have read so many "science novels" aka Genome by Matt Ridley, Emperor of All Maladies, The Selfish Gene, Stephen Hawking books, you name it. However, I am starting to think, maybe I should just study history or literature. I am consistently told that I am AMAZING at writing and critical reading skills, i.e. English class, so maybe I should just give up on science? I know I sound really self-pitying but I just need someone else's opinion. Maybe science history? Science journalism? But is all sounds so... I don't know... Not exciting, for lack of a better word. And then I think, maybe I should just become interested in less hard core biological sciences, not get lost in quantitative biology, even though that is exactly what sounds interesting to me. That is also why I was interested in chemical engineering. I want to solve problems and really make a difference.</p>

<p>Any advice?</p>

2

<p>Biology tends to require freshman calculus and perhaps statistics.</p>

<p>Physics requires much more math, typically multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. Often, additional math like real analysis and complex analysis is recommended.</p>

<p>Chemical engineering or chemistry also needs math up to multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.</p>

<p>Biology majors have much worse job and career prospects than physics or chemical engineering majors. (Chemistry majors are not that much better off in this respect.)</p>

3

<p>Your math is well above average, you’re letting it get to your head. I took BC as a junior too (but I only majored in biology). You still have your senior year to touch up on things you don’t know, or you could try and tackle linear algebra or multivariable calculus at a college (during your senior year of high school) to see how you really fare.</p>