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PhilolovesJ
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25 Oct 2007, 9:22 am

I have always like Biology and also Geology.
I've lately been reading a lot about it and they both seem extremely interesting.
I've seen frequenty on this and other aspie forums that people have majored in or worked in those fields. I also like them because compared to some of the other sciences they seem from what I know of the work required that I could do it because they are less mathamtical and spatial at least to an extent not to mention I like them more than physics or chemistry and I have heard of people with NLD doing well especially in biology

So I wonder if anyone can help me out and give some advice as to...
Are geology and/or biology "Aspie friendly"?
How heavy is the math load and how visual spatial is it and what type of visual skill is mostly used?
( My math skills are decent enough in algerbra I did pretty good but trig and much of geometry sucked and while my spatial realtionship skills are not good I do okay at perceptual reasoning on most tests.)
What is most of the work like anyway?
Would you recommend it?
If anyone can help me out that would be so great...



Tim_Tex
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25 Oct 2007, 9:48 am

I am currently a geology major.

Tim


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PhilolovesJ
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25 Oct 2007, 9:58 am

Tim_Tex wrote:
I am currently a geology major.

Tim


How is it going for you?
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Cooper
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25 Oct 2007, 11:38 am

Most biology programs require 1-2 semesters of calculus. A biology B.S. (bachelor of science degree) will almost certainly require calculus, whereas you may be able to find biology B.A. (bachelor of arts degree) programs that don't require as much math. The B.S. is preferred by some employers and graduate schools, but the B.A. is also a very good degree. (All my information comes from US universities.)



Joybob
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25 Oct 2007, 12:54 pm

I are gewd at biologies.



militarybrat
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30 Oct 2007, 3:20 pm

Biology and Geology do have math in them but from my experience it builds up so you don't start with intensive math you work up to that.



Joybob
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30 Oct 2007, 3:38 pm

Geology has zero maths dude.

Biology requires dumbed down Calculus classes, not the tough ones engineers take.



Phagocyte
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30 Oct 2007, 6:42 pm

Joybob wrote:
Geology has zero maths dude.

Biology requires dumbed down Calculus classes, not the tough ones engineers take.


Really? I would think that geologists would require chemistry and physics, which, in turn, would need a few semesters of calculus.

I'm a biology major, lots of fun and extremely interesting; with all the facts and concepts of organic systems working together in a synchronous, almost elegant manner, I think it would be a subject that a person with Asperger's would enjoy. It requires one semester of calculus, and Joybob is correct that it's usually a "lighter" calculus. I know at my college it's called "Calculus for Business and the Life Sciences," (which can't be built upon by calculus II, it's a dead end meant to fulfill the math elective), where as the math-heavy majors generally take Unified Calculus I, II, and III (followed by the Advanced Calculus courses). Also, if you have a math deficiency, a biology major is so light on math that you can generally take the necessary remedial classes without detriment to your main course load.



Joybob
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30 Oct 2007, 9:48 pm

Phagocyte wrote:
Joybob wrote:
Geology has zero maths dude.

Biology requires dumbed down Calculus classes, not the tough ones engineers take.


Really? I would think that geologists would require chemistry and physics, which, in turn, would need a few semesters of calculus.

I'm a biology major, lots of fun and extremely interesting; with all the facts and concepts of organic systems working together in a synchronous, almost elegant manner, I think it would be a subject that a person with Asperger's would enjoy. It requires one semester of calculus, and Joybob is correct that it's usually a "lighter" calculus. I know at my college it's called "Calculus for Business and the Life Sciences," (which can't be built upon by calculus II, it's a dead end meant to fulfill the math elective), where as the math-heavy majors generally take Unified Calculus I, II, and III (followed by the Advanced Calculus courses). Also, if you have a math deficiency, a biology major is so light on math that you can generally take the necessary remedial classes without detriment to your main course load.


You miss out on a lot of good math. The dumbing down of math for biologists and the dumbing down of biology for physicists/chemists is pretty counter-productive. I'm taking a Biophysics course right now for grad students and the professor wastes so much time explaining basic calculus to the biologists and basic biology to the physicists that we have barely covered any topics at all.



Phagocyte
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01 Nov 2007, 1:58 pm

That's sad, though I don't plan to miss out on any mathematics, I plan on taking the full-fledged unified calculus course.



CGKings317
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11 Nov 2007, 6:41 am

PhilolovesJ,

I am currently a fourth year geology undergrad (out of five).

There is some math involved in geology, but it is more conceptual mathematics than active mathematics.

One important question you have to answer is do you like the outdoors? I ask this because the standard capstone course in geology is the Geology Field Camp, I completed field camp up here in Alaska last summer. It was in retrospect my favorite course, although the instructors worked me hard!

The field camp course is typically a physically and mentally intensive six to seven weeks long over a summer -- out in the wilderness, far from civilization -- and involves making field observations, compiling field notes and completing one or more geologic maps, and in my case write a final report, since my field camp was a "writing intensive" course.

Hope this helps!

Rock hard!


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Tim_Tex
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11 Nov 2007, 2:03 pm

CGKings317 wrote:
PhilolovesJ,

I am currently a fourth year geology undergrad (out of five).

There is some math involved in geology, but it is more conceptual mathematics than active mathematics.

One important question you have to answer is do you like the outdoors? I ask this because the standard capstone course in geology is the Geology Field Camp, I completed field camp up here in Alaska last summer. It was in retrospect my favorite course, although the instructors worked me hard!

The field camp course is typically a physically and mentally intensive six to seven weeks long over a summer -- out in the wilderness, far from civilization -- and involves making field observations, compiling field notes and completing one or more geologic maps, and in my case write a final report, since my field camp was a "writing intensive" course.

Hope this helps!

Rock hard!


I get to take field camp this summer (2008).

Tim


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Tim_Tex
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11 Nov 2007, 2:07 pm

PhilolovesJ wrote:
Tim_Tex wrote:
I am currently a geology major.

Tim


How is it going for you?
Do you feel welcome?


So far yes. I had to drop my chemistry course because the professor wasn't teaching the class very well, and in fact, most of the class was having problems. I plan to retake it next semester with a better instructor.

Tim


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