i'm thinking about it. are you considering a career in science too OP? wait, college,nice. what science?
Any advice for upcoming science major? Why did you pick it your major and what jobs are you pursuing?
I'm only into my math right now (calc 1). Had a cluster fuck at the beginning of last semester set me back a year in my physics studies, and seeing as they don't offer Phys 1 in the spring... It sucks, but at least financially, it's not a huge issue. So probably not the best person to ask! I love the math though (so far). Depending on the science, hit the math hard. The better you are at it, the better off you'll be. This may not apply to you if you're going for, say, biology. If you want to go to graduate school, go to the professor's office hours. It's one of the best ways to get a letter of recommendation. I got lucky in that I'll have the same instructor for my whole calculus sequence so it'll be easy to build some rapport with him. If you're going into calc, needless to say you'll have trouble with it if you're not good with algebra or trig - so practice that, if you need to. I picked my major mostly to please my dad. I really wanted to go for mathematics (originally was in for pre-law, but decided I'd hate to work in/out of a courtroom all the time, among other things). My dad is an ex-physicist, electrical engineer (was a physicist for the government in the 70's but started his own business making power supplies [EE]) so he is really into 'applied math'. He's not a fan if it doesn't make you money. So here I am in physics. I think I'd like to go to graduate school, probably for physics. I've also had nuclear engineering in the back of my mind. I'm not very sure.
That's pretty much what I'm thinking, work in a nuclear power plant or something. Unfortunately this means at least pre-employment screening, which is why I'm on somewhat of a T-break at university. I'm in third year now and after one more, I think I desperately need a break from school.
As has been said, be up-to-par with your math skills. There is a hell of a lot of it, particularly in Chemistry and Physics. Another bit of advice that I've heard mixed opinions about, smoke the herb hard! Every science class I've had, particularly biology courses, biochem, and organic chemistry, make a HELL of a lot more sense when I look over the material high. Learn good study habits now. My grades in college are less-than-preferable for the simple reason I never learned how to study until I got to college, and even now I'm still learning how to study better. Be prepared to put in a lot of hard work and not drink nearly as much as many of your friends. I've only met 2-4 people in my entire college career that can party like a fucking animal and still manage acceptable grades in the sciences.
Neuroscience major and loving every minute of it. I picked my major because I love the subject matter. Don't commit your life to something unless you will be happy with it. As for advice, take every opportunity you can to get lab experience and build relationships with professors. These will both come in handy when you inevitably need to apply for a higher position, be it graduate school., medical school, an internship, or an industry job. I feel ya'. The worst part about college is the realization that suddenly you're in your own league, and you can't get by without exerting any effort any more. I wouldn't say that you can't have fun as a science major, you can definitely party like a fucking animal if you can keep your shit together. But it's all relative: people in easier majors can be absolutely reckless and irresponsible and still get passing grades. In a science major of any discipline, you need to at least exercise some self-control to maintain your grades.
I wanted to major in Paleontology so bad, but I realized that I couldn't handle the math classes. Plus it would suck to spend all your time digging in the desert. I once knew a guy in college that had dual majors in chemistry and physics. I can't even imagine how hard that would be.
Lol so I know. I said I've met 2-4 people that can get away with it, and I'm one of those. I just didn't want to make OP feel like it's that easy and have his hopes crash down later on. I had Organic chem. and Zoology in the same semester, and I was getting wasted drunk 3-4 nights a week and smoking at least an 8th every day. Passed Organic with a B and Zoology with a C, along with A or B in every other class that semester. Almost every other science major I've known to behave as I did failed miserably with lower level science classes than I had. For a decent story I remember one night that semester, a Mon. night mind you, I had already killed 11 beers when someone showed me half of a half gallon of cheap vodka in the freezer, which I supposedly downed all of (I blacked out about half-way through). I woke up in a pile of my own puke and was shown video of me literally in a drunk coma the night before. Took a shower and somehow made it to Organic still drunk (my only class on Tue. that semester). Stumbled in and somehow took the days quiz. Half-way through class I had to walk out and set down beside the toilet puking my goddamn guts out (with the worst hangover headache I've ever had mind you). Needless to say, our professor for the class is cool as shit. Said later in class if something happened to cause you to miss a something in class, such as a flat tire, alarm clock failure, or "the Jack-Daniels flu," to come talk to him and he could arrange a make-up. I figure I had something to do with that comment that day lol. Probably one of my funniest moments in class as a science major, and ironically enough we were discussing carbonyls in class that day (which were probably half of my non-cellular blood content waiting to be pissed out).