Edumacation

[Chunkywheats]

My liberal arts college runs on a trimester system, and the education programs are set up so that it is somewhat easy to double major in 4 years, or do a major and two minors, or, of course, a major and a minor. Now, because of my declared major, biochemistry, and the fact that its general requirements are very similar to the chemistry major's requirements, I will pretty much have to take two extra classes (analytical chemistry{I'll probably take anyway} and pChem {calculus based physical chemistry dealing w/ kinetics and heats of formation etc., which is a real [rainbow] bear at my school}) to double major in Biochem/Chem.

My advisor (who is also a biochem professor) is trying to persuade me to major in biochem and get a minor in something else, unrelated, because he believes in a broader range of knowledge. I took an intro to literature class last term, and really enjoyed it, and i really liked my professor, and some of the faculty I had dealings with, and I have been debating maybe taking some more lit classes to get a minor is literature along with my biochem major. Also, it is not completely impossible to think that I may be able to achieve a lit/biochm double major, but I may have to forgo from some of the research that I'm involved in, and may ruin my chances of doing a biochem honors project (which I may not qualify for anyway). So anyway, these are my choices. Should I:


1)Biochm/chem double major (very very easily attainable, almost a crime not to, but not a very broad range of education)

2)Biochm major/ Lit. minor ( somewhat easily attainable, but may have to sacrifice some chem research, but broader range of knowledge. I would ENJOY studying while here at school, since I like to read/ write/ etc.)

3)Biochm/ Lit double major (farking hard to accomplish, since I will have to give up lab time, which I have gotten very used to. Not as much time to do independant research/ get lab experience. May cost me a chance to do Biochem Honors.)

4)NIAD (I'm an asshole)

[Walnut]

I would go with biochem/chem...

Minoring/doubling with lit will do nothing to help you get a job, unless you are considering some kind of job involving literature. It will increase your range of knowledge though, so if that's really important to you, go with it.

[Chunkywheats]

Normally, I would agree, but it seems that the chem/biochem double major has been cheapened in a way, because it is a popular combination.

[Walnut]

Normally, I would agree, but it seems that the chem/biochem double major has been cheapened in a way, because it is a popular combination.

I guess, but you could also think of getting Biochem/Lit as falling behind and Biochem/Chem as keeping up. :p

[Captain Colon]

Normally, I would agree, but it seems that the chem/biochem double major has been cheapened in a way, because it is a popular combination.
But a literature degree is sooo much better :p

I picked the double science major because I can't fathom why you would want to pay money for someone to tell you how to understand literature.

[Chunkywheats]

The point isn't that it would be sooo much better, the point is that Lit. would be like doing something that would be FUN. Not that I dislike biochemistry or chemistry, but its all math and sciency.



and also, I don't know how many literature classes you have taken at the college level, but thus far, I've never been told to interpret a story/poem/etc. in a certain way. Professors instead give you insight into the readings, let you know how others have interpretted the readings 100 years before you were born, and then let you decide on your own what the literature means. Sure, literature should be felt, and not forced, but other people's ideas can help you fully comprehend a piece.


Also, it isn't as though a literature degree is worthless, since, after all, one would become a halfway decent writer by taking any sort of english class, which can then be applied when I'm writing more career related things.

[marty]

Strange, there was no option to drop out and become carefree...

So I picked biochem major/lit minor

[nojmaster]

The point isn't that it would be sooo much better, the point is that Lit. would be like doing something that would be FUN. Not that I dislike biochemistry or chemistry, but its all math and sciency.


This is pretty important. My girlfriend's at Bristol doing Chemistry with Maths and Physics and she's starting to burn out because, while they're worthy subjects and she's good at them and puts a hell of a lot of work in, she doesn't particularly like them. To give the flipside, I enjoy the shit out of my Multimedia Design and Digital Animation course to the point that I've worked 10 hours a day on top of my usual schedule on projects for a month and come out the other side fresh as a daisy. In terms of what use it'll be, bottom line is that a degree is a degree. Even if you don't end up pursuing the field of work you want, you probably won't be plucking chickens.

[rovens]

I'd go for the 1st one for carrer oppurtunities, the two go hand in hand to give you a wider field of knowledge that can be applied at the same time. However if you think that you will really enjoy the Lit degree then do that, im just finishing my third year and havent really enjoyed any of it, it just struck me the other day i should have done a CAD course rather than Building Surveying, as ive spend the majority of this degree doing my projects in CAD and doing CAD stuff for others and ive really enjoyed that.

EDIT - Be a super geek and do all three?

[pk!]

If you plan a career as a research scientist then taking a minor in English can help - advancement depends on publication and citation of papers. I know many very sucessful scientists through my father, and they all got there through a combination of writing the right papers and having them published in the right journals. Most world leaders in their field also edit the primary journal for their speciality, and the influence of these papers and journals doesn't just depend on the content, but the presentation.

I've worked as assistant editor for a couple of physics journals, and there's nothing they dread more than a paper full of good science and bad English.

[Captain Colon]

Chunky seems like the kind of person who already knows how to write comprehensible material.
and also, I don't know how many literature classes you have taken at the college level, but thus far, I've never been told to interpret a story/poem/etc. in a certain way. Professors instead give you insight into the readings, let you know how others have interpretted the readings 100 years before you were born, and then let you decide on your own what the literature means. Sure, literature should be felt, and not forced, but other people's ideas can help you fully comprehend a piece.
Join a book club? :p