Need help with Majors!!

[Dr Pepper]

Hello, I'm currently a 1st year undergrad at UT austin pursuing a BS Biochemistry degree. Will have 72 hours after this semester, due to lots of AP credits and placement tests, which is why i think the following would be feasible.
Im not completely set on becoming a doctor although it is an option; i need to shadow some docs or get an internship before i decide.

I'm also pretty interested in plants, nutrition, and something that would relate to those fields such as genetic modification of plants or recombinant DNA work. Isolating plant chemicals and finding medicinal uses would be badass. Also interested in Pharmacology and Neurology.

Originally i was gonna do BS Biochemistry,
but now i'm thinking of adding another major,
Double major with BS Biochemistry and Nutrition
(my school doesn't offer minors for biochem)

Another route involves computer science,
One BS Biochemistry "option" is called "computation" instead of option 1 "Biochemistry". BS Biochemistry Computation includes 12 hours of computer science credits while taking less biochem/science classes.

However, UT offers an "Elements" program, where you can get do 12 or 18 hours of computer science(programming and stuff). The 12 hours gets you a certificate from the Computer Science college, although it doesn't appear on transcript.
Completing 18 hours of CS will get you a certificate from the University and will appear on your transcript, so its like a minor. I'm taking the 1st class next semester to see how programming suits me.
If i were to take the route of computation or decide to take the Elements program, i'd definitely go for 18 hours.

So heres the breakdown of choices, i'm looking for input as to the pros/cons of each and what you think would be the best route to pursue.

1)BS Biochemistry and Nutrition Double Major,

2 )Biochemistry BS(computation) Major + Nutrition Major + 6 extra Computer Science hours for the extra certification

3) Biochemistry BS (Biochemistry) + 18 hours Computer Science (Elements Program) for certification.

4) Biochemistry BS Major

 

[RedLeader]

I think honestly this all comes down to how well you adaprt to the CS stuff. Most people either find it extremely challenging or extremely easy. I'd probably take that first class next sememster and see how you adapt to it. You can still decide on this whole major/mior stuff at, say, midsemster next semester, right?

If the CS stuff comes really easy to you, I'd probably suggest that you back away from it and do either 1) or 4). Reason being that for people who natually are good at CS, you can teach yourself an entire semester's worth of material with a week or so of dedicated spare-time reading. It's just not worth the hours of classroom time and homework effort, when you are much stronger than your classmates. Focus that time instead on shadowing doctors, doing biochem research, etc. Just because you don't have it on your transcript does not mean that there aren't other ways to prove to people down the road that you know how to write code.

If the CS stuff seems quite challenging, I'd probably stick it out with the course. Ideally in this case, I'd do 3). Unless it puts you off so much that you want to go a route that won't involve programming (after graduation), and then I'd go back to either doing 1) or 4).

Really, whether or not your career will have a computation side of it is up to you and the path you choose. Your school splits it up like that for a reason, perhaps a bit oversimplified, but when you're actually getting a job out in the field, you'll either need to know scientific computing or you won't. Another reason to test the waters and see if you like it!

To add, I think that if you are going to do 2), you should muscle it out and try and go for 3). Might be a bit ambitious, but you only get one shot at an education!

 

[purple_cloud]

At least you aren't thinking like me --- I almost have a masters in Linguistics, the epitome of being useless really. I have also played around with computational things, I feel it might be a good skill to toss on a resume. I didn't think about job prospects when choosing a major, I'm really glad you are. Option 3 does sound quite ambitious, but I don't know you --- if you can handle the workload and tease apart school and play (72 credits early on proves that you are willing to do the work), then I'd take the option which would get me the best shot at a job (although you may need grad school anyway, who knows).

I agree with RedLeader to some degree...if the CS stuff is too challenging, try to get through the classes you take on it and make your decision. Programming can be a lot of fun, but difficult and confusing at more advanced levels. That stuff isn't easy, but even a Biochem BS is quite a good undergrad degree to walk away from college with.

 

[rant*N*rave]

As RedLeader said, CS classes can be lots of dicking around if you're already good at computer work, so I would stay away from that if you're already confident in your abilities. I had a job for 2 years with a software company, and I got it without any formal schooling in comp sci save for a C++ class (but I already knew how to code when i took it). I'm also a biochem major (graduating next week, yay!), and I have to say that I would try to focus on the biochem degree alone and try to get in lots of lab time, preferably working in a lab on campus. If you really want the computer skills to put on a resume, get a part time job working for a computer company or something like that - schools usually have a zillion tech jobs available, and they usually pay pretty well. When it comes to getting a job after graduation, companies are usually willing to take you on your word for computer skills, or take a lot less experience than with the science - most people wouldn't lie about computer skills, and it would be really obvious if they had, so it's usually not an issue.

A biochem degree is a major undertaking, and I think you should focus solely on that as much as you can. Better to be extremely good at it because you have lots of time to study than to come out of college essentially with half a chemistry degree and half a biology degree...

 

[peer.review]

This more pertains to pharmaceutical research-

I'm also pretty interested in plants, nutrition, and something that would relate to those fields such as genetic modification of plants or recombinant DNA work. Isolating plant chemicals and finding medicinal uses would be badass. Also interested in Pharmacology and Neurology.

From what I understand most pharmaceutical companies have shut down their "natural products" laboratories and have shifted more research into other modes of drug discovery (High throughput screening, Selected optimization of side activities, chemoinfomatics, molecular docking, blah blah blah).

I think the important question is, do you need the CS skills right now? If you are going to go the research route, then you are going to have to get your PhD and you might have more time to develop the necessary skills to work on more advanced in silica methods of drug research (molecular docking is a good example of this http://blaster.docking.org/ ). I think your best course of action would be to go to a professor you like and who has similar interests as you and talk to her about what she might recommend.