Studying biology?

rstax

Hi there..
I'm in my final year of school, and have a huge interest in biology.. I'd be interested in studying it in uni in the future, but am worried if I'd need to have a high standard and understanding of chemistry?
I'd be interested in hearing your responses. Thank you

darjeeling

rstax wrote: »

Hi there..
I'm in my final year of school, and have a huge interest in biology.. I'd be interested in studying it in uni in the future, but am worried if I'd need to have a high standard and understanding of chemistry?
I'd be interested in hearing your responses. Thank you

A lot of biologists go about their working lives without thinking very much about chemistry. Maths - and in particular statistics - is probably much more important to them.

josey_whale

rstax wrote: »

Hi there..
I'm in my final year of school, and have a huge interest in biology.. I'd be interested in studying it in uni in the future, but am worried if I'd need to have a high standard and understanding of chemistry?
I'd be interested in hearing your responses. Thank you

Hi Rstax,

A high standard and understanding of chemistry is not necessary to study biology. Your "huge" interest in biology will carry the day. I wouldn't let it put you off.

You will however need a basic understanding of chemistry. Put it this way, all biological processes are based on chemical reactions.... and more profoundly, these chemical reactions are, at their most basic level driven by physical forces.

I would say that you average biologist out there has only a "basic" understanding of chemistry - if you like on a need to know basis. A good understanding of chemistry would certainly give you an edge though.

GLaDOS

rstax wrote: »

Hi there..
I'm in my final year of school, and have a huge interest in biology.. I'd be interested in studying it in uni in the future, but am worried if I'd need to have a high standard and understanding of chemistry?
I'd be interested in hearing your responses. Thank you

I'm in my 3rd year of Genetics in DCU and I never did chemistry before college, same with most of my class. You'll learn enough basics as you go on to cover what you need. I wouldn't let it hold you back if you want to do biology.

KittyeeTrix

Hi OP, I went back as a mature student to NUIG to study science. I'm 36 now studying Microbiology in 3rd year and can honestly say that I was very worried about taking the Physics and Chemistry in 1st year as I'd never studied them for my L.C all those moons ago..........
I wasn't a fan of Chem and loved Biology and still managed to get my highest marks in Chem Still don't know how...........

Basically what I'm saying is that you will only be covering basic Chem which is not too difficult i.e. if I could master it for my biology based course then anyone can and that's the truth!!:)
Good luck with it

ironictoaster

I'm in 1st year Biotechnology in DCU, you learn everything from scratch in bio, physics and chem. I wouldn't worry about it.

JohnG18

rstax wrote: »

Hi there..
I'm in my final year of school, and have a huge interest in biology.. I'd be interested in studying it in uni in the future, but am worried if I'd need to have a high standard and understanding of chemistry?
I'd be interested in hearing your responses. Thank you

I'm in 3rd year studying Nutraceuticals (Google it :P) and I felt the same way as you at the time as I loved Bio and it was my strongest subject....

First year I was dreading Chemistry and Physics and Chemistry ended up being my strong point so far in my degree! I was rightly dreading physics (failed one module passed the repeat).

You will either find out you love Chemistry by modules you take or learn to tolerate it but either way you will be fine!

rstax

Thank you all so much for your replies!
Gives me much more confidence in heading for studying what I love!

Improbable

Let's put it this way, I studied biochemistry in UCD and now have a degree in it and am doing an MSc. I would say biochemistry is probably the most chemistry heavy biology degree there is. And there wasn't a lot of chemistry at all... Several people in my class had never done chemistry for the Leaving Cert. and got by just fine, getting 2.1's.

Nolanger

Improbable wrote: »

Several people in my class had never done chemistry for the Leaving Cert. and got by just fine, getting 2.1's.

But are they working?

aquarian_fire

In the course I'm studying (which I got into through the biological and Chemical Sciences, UCC) they didn't even ask for you to have a previous knowledge of any of the science subjects to be eligible. Most Unis will give you the basics in first year. They wouldn't give you extra knowledge when they're not sure of what you know coming in.