<p>I have attended Chico for two years and was planning on taking a semester or two off. If I were to go to UCSC, I would get a BA in Business Management Economics. At Chico, I would likely get a BS in Business Administration, Option in Finance. However, I had thought about getting a BS in Biological Sciences, Option in Plant Biology or Cellular & Molecular or a BS in Mathematics, Option in Applied Math. These latter two degrees would mean I’d graduate in 3 years instead of 2. Also, I’ve only taken one college chemistry course and I barely passed with a C-, so organic chemistry might make getting a bio degree impossible for me? I really didn’t have my mind set on anything hence wanting to take a year off. With the offer from UCSC, I would start in January 2015 after I meet their Calculus and English course requirements. At Chico, I would likely take out $5-15k for the next two years and at UCSC, I would not know my financial aid until around October. Will getting a BA vs a BS have a big impact in seeking employment? I don’t think I would pursue a graduate degree because I don’t know what job I’d want so maybe a bio degree would be useless? I had wanted to do something with plants when I first started college and I still do but I felt that my lack of a agriculture background and opposition to gmos would limit the jobs available with a plant degree. I also don’t think I’m much of a leader and that translates to being unable to manage people? Is one school a lot more prestigious than the other? Does a school’s prestige matter in the job process? Is a business degree at UCSC any good? (I heard UCSC is more known for their sciences) </p>
<p>I think most employers don’t look at BA vs BS, and I don’t think one school has a higher prestige than the other in the non-science areas. But since you really don’t know your direction, I think taking a year off is a good idea. Consider volunteering with a service organization or charity such as the Peace Corps. Getting some real-world experience may help you decide on a major.</p>
<p>First, you will probably want to seek a post grad degree with all those majors. A 4-year business degree is a dime a dozen and without something more, you won’t stand out. Sure you can get a job, but unless you get lucky or have connections, your salary cap may be very low. </p>
<p>For bio, you are largely incorrect. 1 college chem class isn’t indicative of your future class. There’s a lot of factors to contribute to your grade. Since you took one course, I’m assuming its inorganic chem or gen chem. either way, chem is a broad subject and one class you may hate, and another you may like. I have met a student who loved or was interested in every chem course they have taken. Diff classes require different skills and interests, so it way too early to say that. </p>
<p>Additionally, you assume too much in agriculture. Most plant specialists aren’t farmer turned scientists. They are more likely suburb and city kids who were interested by it for whatever reason and learned the skills. You too will learn the skills if you pursue it. Although this will require a masters as bio majors are a dime a dozen too. The good news is most schools pay for their post grads in stem majors, so more schooling will be free or cheap for you. </p>
<p>Also, just because you work in the agriculture doesn’t mean you’ll work with gmos. You could do research, for more efficient processes for instance. Honestly, plant biology is a very important degree to have, and there are some holes because biologists are more interested in fauna.</p>
<p>If I may ask, what is your opposition towards gmos?</p>
<p>@calla1 It’s great to know that BS/BA won’t matter. What would be a service organization? Like the Sierra Club? Unfortunately with Peace Corps, I would need to “have 3–5 years full-time work experience in business, agriculture, construction, information and communication technology, youth development, or nonprofit organizations” in order to qualify without a degree and I don’t have 3-5 years of experience. </p>
<p>@ninjex There’s various reasons why I’m opposed to gmos. One would be the heavy dependance of pesticides and fertilizers that commercial gmos require. There’s also the social factors like the cotton suicides in India. Then there’s the contamination issues and the unknown long-term (generational) studies of gmos on human health. The privatization and patenting of seeds is also something I am opposed to. And the mass profits corporations make off the backs of poor farmers. </p>
<p>I had a C- in general chem and I would need to take at least 3 more chem courses for a bio degree. I’ve definitely thought about the seemingly lack of flora specific bio degrees which may work into my favor in the future but I have no clue what jobs are out there for someone with a Plant degree and the pay scale that goes along with it. What is life for a Plant biologist after graduate school?? (I’ll get around to e-mailing some professors about this) I’m scared that me being a B student and possible C in sciences (chem mostly) would disqualify me in getting into a graduate program. This is why I’ve spent a semester pursuing a Business degree because I can literally see the jobs available through it (when I look at downtown districts in major cities). But when I imagine myself doing the jobs, I really have no interest in them. I also think Business classes are dull and the fact that I’d need a MA after a BA/BS for business definitely gives me a lot to think about. When you say post grad degree, that means a masters/graduate degree, correct? Do you have any insight on Math degrees? If you have any other life or school advice for me that can help me better decide, it would help me immensely. </p>
<p>Thanks for the replies.</p>
<p>I see. Thank you. </p>
<p>For your first question :What is life like… I couldn’t answer, because it’s too broad. Your life will depend on your job. My former bio professor is a botanist. Before she did teaching, she travelled the world extracting pieces of plants and then analyzing them to understand why they were so efficient against certain forces.</p>
<p>For graduate school, there’s two ways to go about it. You can go directly after graduation or you can work for a few years then apply for grad school. The second option is usually taken by those who had lower gpas. You shouldn’t worry about it though. If you have the aptitude and good study habits, you should do well. </p>
<p>Between math, you will generally need a masters or graduate degree too. There may be some exceptions in certain applied areas, like actuarial sciences. Ultimately though, it will depend where you want to go and what you want to work in. </p>
<p>The best advice is find out what you like to do. You shouldn’t simply pursue a degree because you can see a job. There should be some interest in the subject matter. Better off using a year to find yourself rather than spend 20-30 in a profession you hate. </p>