What I Wish I Knew About Majoring In Chemistry
TLDRThe speaker shares insights on their experience as a chemistry major, highlighting the importance of understanding prerequisites, career prospects, and the degree's demanding nature. They emphasize the value of choosing the right professors, balancing workload with college life, and avoiding burnout. Despite its challenges, they express their love for the major and its universal scientific applications.
Takeaways
- 📚 Chemistry is a complex major with numerous prerequisites, so research your school's requirements in advance.
- 🗓️ Plan your schedule carefully to ensure you complete all prerequisites on time, especially for upper-level classes like pchem.
- 💼 Understand that while chemistry offers good job prospects, higher salaries typically require additional education or work experience.
- 🏛️ Be aware that the difficulty of a chemistry degree means you should not overload your schedule with too many challenging classes at once.
- 🧪 Chemistry is a demanding major that requires significant time commitment, but it's important to balance this with other college experiences.
- 👨🏫 The quality of professors can greatly impact your learning experience, so use resources like Rate My Professor and consult with upperclassmen.
- 🎓 A chemistry major can lead to a fulfilling career, but be prepared for a tough journey that may involve grad school for certain career paths.
- 🚀 Despite the challenges, a chemistry major is rewarding and offers a broad understanding of the natural world.
- 🌟 Engage in extracurricular activities to prevent burnout and enhance your overall college experience.
- 📈 While starting salaries with a bachelor's degree in chemistry may be low, they can increase significantly with experience and further education.
- 🤝 Network with seniors and peers to get insights on the best professors and courses to take for a successful chemistry major journey.
Q & A
Why did the speaker choose chemistry as their major?
-The speaker chose chemistry as their major because they were interested in STEM and saw chemistry as a universal science that provided a middle ground between biology and physics.
What was the first thing the speaker wished they knew about the chemistry major?
-The speaker wished they knew about the numerous prerequisites required for the chemistry major that are not listed within the chemistry department, which can cause scheduling issues.
What was the impact of not knowing about prerequisites during the speaker's freshman year?
-The speaker had to take additional calculus and physics classes during the summer to catch up with their prerequisites, which affected their initial college schedule.
What is the speaker's advice for incoming freshmen regarding the chemistry major?
-The speaker advises freshmen to research the chemistry major at their school, find out the prerequisites, and plan their schedule years in advance to ensure they complete all required classes on time.
What are the career and job prospects like for someone with a chemistry major?
-The speaker mentions that while chemistry is not a bad major and one can find a job with it, it's not as lucrative as some other STEM majors like computer science right out of college. Higher-paying jobs often require additional education like a graduate degree or significant work experience.
Why is it important to have a good understanding of the job market before choosing a major?
-Understanding the job market is important because it helps students set realistic expectations for their career paths, informs their decision to pursue further education, and guides them in making informed choices about their major.
How does the difficulty of the chemistry major affect a student's schedule?
-The difficulty of the chemistry major requires students to be cautious about overloading their schedules. It's important to balance the hard classes with a manageable workload to avoid burnout and ensure good academic performance.
What role do professors play in a student's experience in the chemistry major?
-Professors can significantly influence a student's experience, enjoyment, and success in the chemistry major. A good professor can make complex concepts easier to understand and can spark interest in a particular field of chemistry.
Why is it recommended to consult upperclassmen and check 'Rate My Professor' when selecting professors for chemistry classes?
-Consulting upperclassmen provides school-specific insights and advice, while 'Rate My Professor' offers a broader perspective. However, it's important to consider that a low rating might not always be the professor's fault and could be due to the difficulty of the course.
What is the speaker's advice on balancing the demands of a chemistry major with the rest of college life?
-The speaker advises not to let the major consume all of one's time. Engaging in extracurricular activities, joining clubs, and taking breaks are important to prevent burnout and to enhance the overall college experience.
How does the speaker summarize their feelings about the chemistry major?
-Despite the challenges and difficulties, the speaker loves the chemistry major and finds it incredibly rewarding. They appreciate its universal nature and believe that with the right approach and understanding, one can have a great time studying chemistry.
Outlines
📘 The Chemistry Major: Prerequisites and Scheduling
The speaker shares their experience of entering college as a chemistry major without fully understanding the prerequisites and scheduling challenges. They emphasize the importance of researching the major and planning out a schedule in advance due to the numerous prerequisites, including calculus and physics classes. The speaker regrets not taking these prerequisites earlier, which led to a hectic schedule and summer classes. The key takeaway is to be proactive in understanding the requirements and plan accordingly to avoid potential setbacks.
🎓 Understanding Job Prospects and the Value of Higher Education in Chemistry
The speaker discusses the career and job prospects associated with a chemistry major. They clarify that while chemistry is a versatile field, it often requires further education, such as graduate school, to secure higher-paying jobs immediately after college. Although a bachelor's degree in chemistry can lead to decent living, the speaker advises that significant salary improvements and career advancements come with work experience. They suggest considering grad school for those aiming for top-tier jobs right out of college.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Chemistry major
💡Prerequisites
💡Scheduling
💡Career prospects
💡Graduate school
💡Work experience
💡Difficulty
💡Professors
💡Rate my professor
💡Burnout
💡Extracurricular activities
Highlights
The speaker initially chose chemistry as a major without much research, highlighting the importance of understanding what a major entails before committing to it.
Chemistry is described as the universal science, bridging the gap between biology and physics, which was a factor in the speaker's decision to major in it.
The speaker emphasizes the numerous prerequisites in chemistry, which often extend beyond those listed within the department, causing scheduling issues if not planned properly.
The importance of taking calculus and physics early in the college journey for chemistry majors is stressed, as these are needed for upper-level chemistry courses like pchem.
Researching the specific requirements of a chemistry major at one's school is crucial for proper academic planning, as the speaker advises.
Chemistry, while not a bad major, does not offer the immediate high salaries that some other STEM fields like computer science might provide.
Graduate school is often necessary for higher salaries in chemistry, as a bachelor's degree alone typically results in lower starting salaries.
The difficulty of the chemistry major is acknowledged, with the speaker advising against overloading oneself with hard classes every semester.
The variability in professors' teaching quality is discussed, with the speaker recommending the use of resources like 'Rate My Professor' and advice from upperclassmen.
The impact of a professor's teaching style on a student's perception of a subject and their final grade is emphasized.
The speaker's personal experience with a biochemistry class and the influence of the professor's teaching style on their semester is shared.
The time-consuming nature of a chemistry major is discussed, with the speaker advising students to balance their studies with other college experiences.
Participating in extracurricular activities and clubs is recommended to prevent burnout and improve overall college experience.
Taking breaks from studying is suggested to enhance learning and retention of information, ultimately benefiting academic performance.
Despite the challenges, the speaker expresses love for the chemistry major and its universal scientific relevance.
The speaker concludes by encouraging students to be aware of the major's demands and to enjoy the experience despite its difficulties.
Transcripts
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