No idea of whether to do these subjects or not

[lzxnl]

Ok, before I say anything, I know I shouldn't be planning this right now. However, I want to put my mind at ease earlier, so please don't reply with "it's too early to think about this" unless you really think that I should get through first year first.

My problem is this. If I assume everything goes my way, and I get into Chancellors (which is a big ask) and get an extra two subject slots, I have 22 non-breadth subjects. Assuming that I passed the Chemistry 1 and Chemistry 2 exams that I did today and am granted an exemption from that prerequisite, I would be able to major in both physics and chemistry, using 20 subjects (AM 1/2, bio 1+2, Vector Calc, Complex Analysis for fun, three physics second years, three chemistry second years, four physics third years and four chemistry third years, and yes I do want to do complex analysis because it looks like fun and parts of it make sense to me). However, my parents have nevertheless instilled doubt in whether I should pursue a science career in physics and chemistry without biology; they want me to do Medicine, which would require that I spend three second year subjects doing that. Unfortunately, that means I would be on 23 subjects, and the only viable way I could get around that is to cut complex analysis, which would be a massive shame. Or, I give up one of my majors, which I'm highly reluctant to do.

So, is it worth doing these extra bio subjects? Without those subjects, I would have another two spare subject slots to do another physics or maths subject (assuming Chancellors; I want to see if I can fit everything in if EVERYTHING GOES MY WAY FIRST; please let me make an optimistic prediction first ), which would be great for me. However, there is that nagging feeling that I'd be letting the family down by not doing medicine (parents own a medical centre), and that I may possibly fail to find a decent career later on. Any thoughts?

Things about me that may help: I didn't quite like year ten biology because of the rote learning; however, the biochemistry I saw at the ASI Chemistry Summer School earlier this year seemed interesting. Explanations of biological systems using chemistry also seems interesting to me. However, I'm more of a physics and chemistry minded person I think. I'm semi-decent at those.

[brenden]

Figure out what you want to do, man. Thush says there's a lot of rote in med. I always thought you'd go into pure math research or smth... Just don't get stuck in a degree you hate is all I'm sayin'.

Couldn't you do summer/winter units to keep the majors + bio units?

[lzxnl]

Figure out what you want to do, man. Thush says there's a lot of rote in med. I always thought you'd go into pure math research or smth... Just don't get stuck in a degree you hate is all I'm sayin'.

Couldn't you do summer/winter units to keep the majors + bio units?

The problem isn't about overloading; I'm happy to do that. My problem is that my degree only has a certain number of credit points and I'll run over the limit.

Yeah, pure maths doesn't actually interest me. I've browsed through Wiki countless times and the high-level science was fun; the pure maths, like Galois groups, eigenvalues and algebraic rings made no sense, nor did they interest me.

[ChickenCh0wM1en]

As Brencookie already pointed out, I think you should weigh up whether you'd really like to pursue a career in medicine or not. From what I can see, you have an extraordinary talent/gift in Chemistry/Physics and if I were you I wouldn't want to give that up.

As corny as this sounds, many people search their whole life to find their gift but I think this is the one that you don't want to let go.

Good luck!

[psyxwar]

However, I'm more of a physics and chemistry minded person I think. I'm semi-decent at those.

lol.

Just a quick thing re: biology though; biology is pretty different from how it was taught in junior science (at least for me), where I wasn't taught any concepts and rather made to memorise things like the formula for photosynthesis with no understanding of how it happened. I'd definitely recommend picking up a first year bio text and just reading through it; it's interesting, though admittedly pretty memory intensive.

On that note though, there really isn't this distinction between the sciences in the real world a la VCE (according to my teachers anyway). Biology is grounded in chemistry and physics; it's not just a completely separate science in itself. If you're "semi-decent" at the other sciences, I definitely think you'd like bio.

[lzxnl]

Yeah I'm doing first year bio next year literally just to fill up my first year subject slots (I don't have a choice; physics and chem are done, I'm doing first year maths and second year chem [ideally] and I can't do second year physics yet)

That's the problem; I'm not sure if I'll end up enjoying second-year bio or not. I know for a fact that second year physics and vector calculus are going to be lots of fun.

[Aurelian]

I don't understand why you have to make this decision now and not at the end of first year?

[Sinner]

The 3 2nd year subjects are only required for UniMelb's med program. You can still do something totally unrelated and apply for medicine in other unis. (I know people who've done Arts and law degrees, then got into med)

[LeviLamp]

nliu if you run out of points you can:

1. Pay extra to take more subjects via the CAP program and have some subjects taken off your transcript (if you beg a faculty they'd probably take your non-transcript subjects anyway).

If you can't afford that;

2. Beg the uni and say you changed majors and they'll hopefully do whatever you want because you have a 90-something average and they get money.

If that fails;

3. Crash other classes (lectures are easy to sneak into) and then demand to sit an exam to test for competence in the field you didn't officially study.

If THAT fails;

4. Lie down. Try not to cry. Cry a lot.

(I'm strongly considering doing this, honestly )

Step 4. should actually be "take a graduate diploma", since that's basically a full extra major and an official qualification, and I believe there's quite good financial help for it.

[scribble]

^^^HAHAHA levi i've pretty much gone through that entire list (minus having a 90-something average) and am likely to settle on step four.

[LeviLamp]

I am 100% certain that after I do Masters I'm going to do at least one Grad Dip because ~*EDUCATION*~
Like I'm actually at uni just to learn, jobs are overrated, who even needs money???
(nliu seriously though there will be a way!)

[lzxnl]

I don't understand why you have to make this decision now and not at the end of first year?

I want to make this decision now for peace of mind. That's why; otherwise, it'll keep nagging me for a year.

The 3 2nd year subjects are only required for UniMelb's med program. You can still do something totally unrelated and apply for medicine in other unis. (I know people who've done Arts and law degrees, then got into med)

However, doesn't medicine at Melbourne carry higher prestige or whatever?

nliu if you run out of points you can:

1. Pay extra to take more subjects via the CAP program and have some subjects taken off your transcript (if you beg a faculty they'd probably take your non-transcript subjects anyway).

If you can't afford that;

2. Beg the uni and say you changed majors and they'll hopefully do whatever you want because you have a 90-something average and they get money.

If that fails;

3. Crash other classes (lectures are easy to sneak into) and then demand to sit an exam to test for competence in the field you didn't officially study.

If THAT fails;

4. Lie down. Try not to cry. Cry a lot.

(I'm strongly considering doing this, honestly )

Step 4. should actually be "take a graduate diploma", since that's basically a full extra major and an official qualification, and I believe there's quite good financial help for it.

Step 1 is one step I'm sort of resorting to just accepting. Why taking subjects off transcript though?
I don't understand step 2
Step 3, I think it'll be funny if I do that twice; I already did something like that this year. Although if so, I won't even bother with Complex Analysis then; someone gave me an entire set of lecture notes on that and I could probably teach myself more than half of it.

I wish step 4 would actually do something. But for a diploma, there isn't a single diploma that resolves my issue. What, a diploma in physical chemistry? If only.

[LeviLamp]

There are graduate diplomas (literally just another officially recognised major in your BSc) for nearly every science major! If you do a grad diploma in chemistry and combine that with your physics degree you'd probably be very very well-grounded in approaching physical chemistry. Hence why I've decided to take a graduate diploma; it means I can have some choice during undergrad and then be able to get a thorough understanding of chemistry once I'm done with my life science-oriented degree (that said, I'm considering paying for one or two extra subjects since I have a few free spots in my fourth year and want to learn things, so I can empathise with you wanting to do it all at once).
Remember, even if you forget what you've learned in a subject, it's not really gone and if you're going back and revising it in tandem with the course you're taking it's highly likely it'll come back really quickly. Mao (a user who did his PhD in chemistry but had a strong maths focus during his degree) said the actual knowledge isn't so important, but rather being able to apply skills you've learned and use your enhanced learning ability to your advantage. If you ever need to know something, your books will be there.

Melbourne has the "9th best" MD in the world, but there is a limit to how much the rankings mean, and if you ended up doing a medical degree elsewhere I'm sure you'd learn most of the same things. Many rural areas are severely short on doctors, so finding a job should hopefully not be -too- bad. You could ask Russ or Slumdawg or someone else who's actually somewhat experienced in the medical field, I'm just saying what anybody else could.

Also, subjects are taken off the degree transcript (to my understanding, I could be wrong!) because they aren't part of it. I'm not sure if they're actually not acknowledged or placed separately, but they won't all be listed under the Bachelor of Science since they don't count as part of the degree.

[scribble]

I don't understand step 2

There have been cases where people have been able to do one less breadth and one extra science subject. But it has to go riiiiight up to the top to get accepted since youre asking them to make an exception to the course structure that theyve designed. It only really happens if youve completely screwed up your degree and you cant otherwise complete your major.

[Aurelian]

I want to make this decision now for peace of mind. That's why; otherwise, it'll keep nagging me for a year.

Sure, but that's pretty silly. I think you should just wait until the end of first year after you've actually done some bio so that you can make the most informed decision possible.

Trust me, after even just a year of uni your perspective on a great number of things can change quite dramatically; any decision you make now is liable to change over the course of next year anyway.