# Any science majors or graduates?



## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

Just curious if anyone was in school currently for any sort of science major or maybe a graduate already?
If so, what field?
And if you have graduated have you been placed into the work field already?
What made you want to go into said field and how are you enjoying your studies?

Thought I would ask here since Im not sure if the NF temperment forum would yield many science-oriented individuals.


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

I'm in school for psychology and physics. I have a vast interest in the human mind. Learning about our cognition helps me to understand the world around me and how to interact. I do it for my own internal growth and also for the sake of others. Lately I've gained an interest in quantum physics. I'm minoring in it for now and I have no idea what I would do with such a thing but I see it as the more options the better.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

Thats really interesting because previous to wanting to major in Physics myself I wanted to major in Psychology, specifically Neuroscience. I think the more I learned about physics, the less concerned I was about studying psychology but not because I didnt find it interesting but because it just felt like that was more fundamental to the "things" I wanted to know.
And thats pretty cool your minoring in QM because that will be a huge basis of the specific thing I would like to study, so...
that being said Bionic, you and I like the same shit. =)

How are you finding the QM so far? Is it interesting? Is it more conceptual than mechanical? Im curious.


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

RhoAlphaNuAlpha said:


> Thats really interesting because previous to wanting to major in Physics myself I wanted to major in Psychology, specifically Neuroscience. I think the more I learned about physics, the less concerned I was about studying psychology but not because I didnt find it interesting but because it just felt like that was more fundamental to the "things" I wanted to know.
> And thats pretty cool your minoring in QM because that will be a huge basis of the specific thing I would like to study, so...
> that being said Bionic, you and I like the same shit. =)
> 
> How are you finding the QM so far? Is it interesting? Is it more conceptual than mechanical? Im curious.


Haha awesomeeee!

I find it incredible. It has much more conceptual pieces which I enjoy but that pain is always the mechanics that are very important for the basis. I took a QM course in my high school and achieved an easy A but thats mainly because it was more of an 101 with just theories. We did nothing with basic mechanics. I don't have a great background in the basis so I'm sort of going backward instead of forward.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

bionic said:


> Haha awesomeeee!
> 
> I find it incredible. It has much more conceptual pieces which I enjoy but that pain is always the mechanics that are very important for the basis. I took a QM course in my high school and achieved an easy A but thats mainly because it was more of an 101 with just theories. We did nothing with basic mechanics. I don't have a great background in the basis so I'm sort of going backward instead of forward.


You know what I find interesting is that Im really good with mechanics, I can calculate so well but conceptually I have a bit of a hard time.
Ironic to the typical profile of the ENFP, I "should" be able to grasp a concept easier than calculating it but its the opposite for me. Weird.
Either way, I want to go into Theoretical physics so I will have to take loads of QM, Im certain thats the foundation of it along with some upper math courses as well as more physics like Solid State and others. I am a little apprehensive about the Chemistry aspect as I dont particularly enjoy it and am not very good at it, but I suppose I have to make myself like it.
Are you finding the math behing QM very hard? I know a graduate student that said it was the hardest thing theyve taken.


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## cdeuterian (Apr 28, 2010)

Biology major here. I am currently in grad school. Sadly I was money oriented when I entered this field. Im currently searching for a more satisfying reason for being here that can sustain me for my entire career.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

cdeuterian said:


> Biology major here. I am currently in grad school. Sadly I was money oriented when I entered this field. Im currently searching for a more satisfying reason for being here that can sustain me for my entire career.


Thats very funny I was just talking to someone about biology a moment ago. 
Oh thats too bad to hear, what are you finding unsatisfying about it? It's a fascinating subject though isnt it?


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## AirMarionette (Mar 13, 2010)

Experiencing major problems. Literally. GPA dropped below university's minimum and I'm on probation, so my major was obligatorily ∆'d to Classics.

Hopefully I'll go back up to Biochemistry, which is what I'm super-fascinated with (particularly neuroscience and human physiology).


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## cdeuterian (Apr 28, 2010)

RhoAlphaNuAlpha said:


> Thats very funny I was just talking to someone about biology a moment ago.
> Oh thats too bad to hear, what are you finding unsatisfying about it? It's a fascinating subject though isnt it?


It's an endlessly fascinating subject. However I'm not sure if I would be doing this if there were no money incentive involved. I suspect I would find more personal satisfaction in humanities or arts such as fiction writing etc.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

AirMarionette said:


> Experiencing major problems. Literally. GPA dropped below university's minimum and I'm on probation, so my major was obligatorily ∆'d to Classics.
> 
> Hopefully I'll go back up to Biochemistry, which is what I'm super-fascinated with (particularly neuroscience and human physiology).


Fuck, thats awful, sorry to hear that. Howd that happen? I mean besides the obvious, bad grades. Super hard material? Lack of interest?

Neuroscience was going to be my choice initially too, its amazing. I cant do biochemistry though. I am inherently terrible at chemistry.



cdeuterian said:


> It's an endlessly fascinating subject. However I'm not sure if I would be doing this if there were no money incentive involved. I suspect I would find more personal satisfaction in humanities or arts such as fiction writing etc.


Well fortunately from what Ive heard people say that field is rather promising in regards financial security...unless they're delusional.

I went into my choice not even thinking about money, but only because Ive been starving (metaphorically) forever and I wouldnt know any difference anyway. I genuinly just went into it because I really liked it...but Im getting advice from many that Engineering should be my choice as it's a lot more applicable than Theoretical Physics. My issue is that I dont think Id enjoy Engineering at all. Its definitely interesting and obviously extremely practical and helpful to many but...I just cant see myself doing that forever.


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## cdeuterian (Apr 28, 2010)

RhoAlphaNuAlpha said:


> Well fortunately from what Ive heard people say that field is rather promising in regards financial security...unless they're delusional.
> 
> I went into my choice not even thinking about money, but only because Ive been starving (metaphorically) forever and I wouldnt know any difference anyway. I genuinly just went into it because I really liked it...but Im getting advice from many that Engineering should be my choice as it's a lot more applicable than Theoretical Physics. My issue is that I dont think Id enjoy Engineering at all. Its definitely interesting and obviously extremely practical and helpful to many but...I just cant see myself doing that forever.


I think I could channel my inner ISTJ and be more or less satisfied working as an engineer. I do have an affinity for working on discrete technical projects. However I'm too timid to just scrap my biology degree and go back to school to study engineering.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

cdeuterian said:


> I think I could channel my inner ISTJ and be more or less satisfied working as an engineer. I do have an affinity for working on discrete technical projects. However I'm too timid to just scrap my biology degree and go back to school to study engineering.


Thats a tough one. Perhaps you should look into it and see what youd have to take? How far did you get in maths? I know in my area at least that Biology majors are only required to go to Calculus I, in Engineering youd be going past Calc up to Diff EQ and Linear Algebra (Linear Algebra I seriously cannot wait for, looks great).
I dont think you need to go beyond that, and if you have all the Chemistry you wouldnt need to retake that either, just some physics courses. Might actually not be so bad?

From me going from Psychology to Neuroscience to Physics screwed me up royally. I had to basically start from scratch. Awful.


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## cdeuterian (Apr 28, 2010)

Yeah I got up to diff eq as a biomedical engineering major w/ a 2.7 GPA at which point I switched my major to biology. During college I had some issues with depression which is why my GPA was so awful. My mood back then could perhaps best be described as "shellshocked". I was in a daze all the time and apathetic about everything. Then I started working harder and entered medical school- and financial reasons played a large role in motivating me, now that I think about it. I'm currently trying hard to find something existentially satisfying about the medical field for me. I think doing/innovating surgical procedures might fulfill that role and be my way of contributing to this life.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

cdeuterian said:


> Yeah I got up to diff eq as a biomedical engineering major w/ a 2.7 GPA at which point I switched my major to biology. During college I had some issues with depression which is why my GPA was so awful. My mood back then could perhaps best be described as "shellshocked". I was in a daze all the time and apathetic about everything. Then I started working harder and entered medical school- and financial reasons played a large role in motivating me, now that I think about it. I'm currently trying hard to find something existentially satisfying about the medical field for me. I think doing/innovating surgical procedures might fulfill that role and be my way of contributing to this life.


Sorry I feel rather stupid now for going on about what you could do, clearly youre way ahead of me so you know exactly whats up.

Either way I can imagine what a tough thing it is to be going through that. These life choices seem so permanent to me and maybe thats why I keep persisting on my own major but I do genuinely love the aspects of it that I will one day experience first hand.

What are the next steps you have to take ? Where are you at right now?


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## cdeuterian (Apr 28, 2010)

Well this summer I'm studying 14 hours a day for a national standardized exam that all 2nd year medical students have to take. From time to time I've also brainstormed ideas for a postapocalyptic novel I plan to write, incidentally the main character of this novel is a medical doctor. Hopefully my entire life experience in the medical field will not just be reduced to research material for this novel and I will be able to keep nurturing a permanent and sustaining satisfaction in all of this.

In terms of what are the next steps I have to take it's years more of standardized exams, training, long hours, etc. (I say this affectionately and without bitterness)

Sometimes when I have doubts about my life I feel like my lack of enthusiasm would seriously short-change my future patients. But fortunately I don't usually feel unenthusiastic and most of time I'm gung-ho about the work.

So my advice for everyone is, when you are selecting a doctor/surgeon/etc. be sure to find someone with a true animal passion for his field because only then can his skill reach the very highest level.


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

RhoAlphaNuAlpha said:


> Are you finding the math behing QM very hard? I know a graduate student that said it was the hardest thing theyve taken.


Yeah I do not do well in math. I never have. Its way too detail orientated and boring for me. I haven't even taken calculus yet so I'm very much behind. I have these sheets of example equations and plug-ins that I use but I'd much rather sit and just listen to theory all day. Gah, Fuck it.

What about you?


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## jbking (Jun 4, 2010)

*Just had to share....*

Though I graduated in 1997, I really just wanted to share my degree's title:laughing::

Double Honor's Bachelor of Mathematics with majors in Computer Science and Combinatorics & Optimization.

Thus, I came out of a Faculty of Mathematics which exists at the University of Waterloo so there can be this case of majors too.roud:

I also managed to complete the Pure Math requirement, but they couldn't put 3 things on my diploma.


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## OneiricEntropy (Apr 22, 2010)

Microbiology in prep for PA school. Took a while to get there, but at the end of the day, I just love it.


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## dude10000 (Jan 24, 2010)

B.S. Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2006.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

bionic said:


> Yeah I do not do well in math. I never have. Its way too detail orientated and boring for me. I haven't even taken calculus yet so I'm very much behind. I have these sheets of example equations and plug-ins that I use but I'd much rather sit and just listen to theory all day. Gah, Fuck it.
> 
> What about you?


Yes the theory is pretty amazing. I was talking to Nexus6 briefly about those things.
I admit I didnt like math until I got to Calculus because i finall y realized how it all fits. It becomes much more interesting as I got higher. Im just learning Differential Equations now and that has been a little challenging but definitely not impossible. Linear Algebra, what the majority of QM stuff will tend to relate to mathematically looks really interesting, Im excited to that when I can. One more semester 

But yes, anything prior to calculus...its boring as shit.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

JHBowden said:


> B.S. Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2006.


Wow nice, Im actually planning on applying there! How is it?


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## dude10000 (Jan 24, 2010)

> Wow nice, Im actually planning on applying there! How is it?


The solid-state research is outstanding-- because of it the Physics department actually brings a net gain of money into UIC, the only department that does so. Everything else they have is just average. Some stuff, like astrophysics, you'd have to go elsewhere to study, e.g. Champaign-Urbana. Can't tell you about the other departments.


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