Science is my passion but math isn't my fashion

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ROFLMAOmatt
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23 Aug 2012, 4:33 pm

I really love Astronomy, Chemistry, and Zoology but I'm horrible with math. I'm only 16 and I'm just trying to figure out what I want to really get interested in so I can get an extra edge in college. I really want to figure this out because its eating away at me, so is there a way I can be good at these fields without being an expert mathematician?



deltafunction
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23 Aug 2012, 4:42 pm

Well, Astronomy and Chemistry require mostly high school math skills, with Astronomy being a bit more math-heavy. So if you can do high school math, you're good. If not, you will take easy math courses in university to help you out. Zoology is biology related, and biology also requires little math skills, depending on what you do. But I don't see why zoology would be more math-heavy than any other biology course. Biology majors also take the easy math courses (unless they want to go into more math-heavy topics).

I'm not sure, but astronomy and chemistry might require harder math skills if you want to research in those fields as a profession.



starkid
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23 Aug 2012, 5:00 pm

Biology students are required to take calculus, albeit the applications heavy, light-on-theory version of calculus. It's not just the math itself you need, but the logical thinking skills you pick up in math classes. Just do whatever you have to do, study hard, get tutoring, library books, websites, etc. to be ready to take calculus as a freshman in college, and you should be ok. You will be doing great if you can get beyond that. Just take one step at a time, you can do it.

What is your current level of math? Have you taken algebra?



redrobin62
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23 Aug 2012, 7:11 pm

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQWPxfPYKo[/youtube]

Sorry. I couldn't help putting up this song. It fits, though. :D



Nikkt
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24 Aug 2012, 4:45 am

I have dyscalculia. I am also a neuroscientist. Conclusion? Just do what you want. You'll figure out ways around your difficulties.


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frantichope
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30 Aug 2012, 6:51 am

deltafunction wrote:
Well, Astronomy and Chemistry require mostly high school math skills, with Astronomy being a bit more math-heavy.


How do you figure? I work primarily with Chemists and they all have - at a minimum - at least Calc 2. A lot of them are a class or two away from a math minor.

This doesn't mean the OP can't handle it - but they shouldn't expect to stop at College Algebra with ANY of the physical sciences if trying to get a 4 year degree.



Jaythefordman
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01 Sep 2012, 2:03 am

I am a Chemist, some 19 years career so far, and I also hold a biology degree. I am mathematics stupid, cannot do calculus, but most other maths I can do to at least a fair level. Failed 1st year university maths (calculus primarily, but funnily enough blitzed statistics), and after talking to course coordinator we worked out a way of getting my degree without Maths. So, I found a way to do what I want without worrying too much about Maths. Still was hard as many parts of chemistry do require maths, but its 'simple' maths, and with hard work its doable. Never needed much mathematics for my Biology degree, so I personally would not sweat that. this is Australian University, so I am not sure how they structure degree course where you are, but what I would do is talk to the course people and find out what u can do with your strengths and weaknesses, and work it out from there. there is always a way :)



Khaibit
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03 Sep 2012, 1:31 am

While it's important to be realistic, try not to be discouraged by your math skills, no matter how bad they are. Often, you need them more for passing tests in college than for practical applications, depending on what you decide to go into and how you want to apply your degree. It may even just be that you're actually good at math and have not found a teacher that can explain it in a way that you can understand. I have severe dyscalculia, and have found that even when math is required for my scientific interests, I can very often squeak by. When I needed to do math for school purposes, I used test-taking techniques. In spite of being unable to even multiply single-digit numbers in my college days, I still did okay on the SAT and in some classes that way. You can use a calculator for a lot of things, and some college remedial math instructors are really good. When I actually need to understand math to understand a subject that interests me, I find ways to conceptualize it my own way so that I at least have a vague idea of what's being expressed, and can explain it to myself in a verbal way. Lately I've been reading books geared toward adults with math difficulties, and some of them explain it much more clearly and logically, with numbers in large print. I was able to learn multiplication and division in about fifteen minutes from one of them, after struggling with it for years the way the schools taught it.