GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
What should you study in college? I think I gave this on-line quiz a run for its money, as you will see from my scores (below the fold).
Did you earn a different major than the one the quiz diagnosed for you? If so, what was the major you did get and the major the quiz says you should get? What did you think of the questions they used to determine your major?
I think this is a fairly decent quiz, all things considered.
You scored as Biology. You should be a Biology major! You are passionate about the sciences, and you enjoy studying cell growth and evolutionary concepts which enable living organisms to survive. Pursue that!
What is your Perfect Major? created with QuizFarm.com |
Comments
Ha! I always garble these kinds of tests because I like everything so much. My two lowest scores were journalism & theater (58% each) but I got 100% on biology, chemistry & math. I've never studied the latter three, but I've studied and/or had jobs in the first two fields. I only scored an 83% in my actual major (linguistics). But I like knowing that I am equally passionate about chemistry and dance. It's pretty much true.
Posted by: alphabitch | March 6, 2006 5:18 PM
My actual major (history) didn't even turn up on my list . . .
Posted by: hilllady | March 6, 2006 5:24 PM
I was tied at 92% for English and Journalism. Right behind those were Anthropology and Biology at 83%. I was a History major as an undergrad, but I'm starting a physical anthropology PhD program in the fall, so I guess the test isn't entirely wrong-headed.
Posted by: Sean Foley | March 6, 2006 5:34 PM
Hmmm. Tied 92% with engineering, bio, chem, english and philosophy. Got English when I answered 'enjoyed reading' to the tie-breaker. Pretty accurate for a biochem major who flipped a coin decide between English and Bio in undergrad.
Posted by: Gretchen | March 6, 2006 6:16 PM
Like most people who take this quiz, I got multiple 'perfect' scores. In fact, I may have had too many, for I had to deal with a "tie breaker" and choose the most preferred out of four very strong answers I had. I wonder if the quiz writers think that the answers were controversial/contradictory? Because I didn't see it.
Posted by: Aerik | March 6, 2006 6:16 PM
I got English, with high scores for biology and chemistry. I also scored a 25% in philosophy, which is pretty nuts given that my floor's about to collapse from the weight of my philosophy books.
But I guess I was being too "analytical" about those airheaded statements. "I love how the human psyche works"? WTF is that? I'm interested in it, maybe, but loving it would imply a level of satisfaction with the vagaries of human nature that I really don't have.
Ever get a chance to watch those Starewicz films?
Posted by: Phila | March 6, 2006 7:37 PM
My real major wasn't on the list. Perhaps that explains why I didn't get any "100%" scores, when they seem so common for some people.
Engineering was my top score with 92%.
Biology was tied for last at 17%.
Looking at the list of majors in the quiz, it is a rather odd selection. Good for some people, I suppose, but limited in its application.
Posted by: P.M.Bryant | March 6, 2006 7:37 PM
This thing turned me into a theater major. It obviously has no skill.
Posted by: Chris Mooney | March 6, 2006 7:45 PM
Engineering - pretty close to real life as I was a geophysics major
Posted by: Matt | March 6, 2006 8:54 PM
I'm always bad at these, because I never like choosing extremes. So, no 100% 's for me, but I tied between Dance and Chemistry. I'm the most clumsy person ever, and definitely wouldn't have survived a dance class without breaking an ankle. However, I thought about being a chem major.
Actual majors were physics, math, and astronomy. Ironically, I only scored a 50% on the math major.
Posted by: Kristin | March 6, 2006 9:12 PM
Hm, Engineering 92%, Psychology 83%, Biology 83%. My PhD is in cognitive science, on a simulation model of the amygdala-orbitofrontal system in the brain. I'd say the test has pegged me prety well.
Posted by: Janne | March 6, 2006 9:21 PM
My highest were anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. I'm in forestry.
Posted by: jordan | March 6, 2006 11:17 PM
I got my real major (math) at 100%, followed by philosophy and journalism at 75%. I can understand philosophy - at one point I intended to minor in it - but journalism is completely off the track. Also, I got only 50% in linguistics, whereas I expected it to be my second or third highest subject.
Posted by: Alon Levy | March 6, 2006 11:32 PM
I got 100% Chemistry, guess I chose the right major.
92% Math and 75% Philosophy, so that encompasses my minors also.
Posted by: ScottM | March 7, 2006 12:00 AM
Looks like I should be a full-time student for life. Got 100% in seven fields.
Posted by: parrotslave | March 7, 2006 12:58 PM
The quiz gave me a tie among Mathematics, English, Anthropology, Journalism, and Sociology. My real major, History, is not on the list. But a combination of English and Anthropology probably comes close to what I actually do. And I did consider Mathematics briefly. And maybe blogging counts as a form of journalism.
Posted by: John | March 7, 2006 11:05 PM
Pretty cool. The quiz gave me 100% Linguistic. Then 75% in Journalism 58% in English and 50% in Theater
Apart from the 100 percent linguistic, i think the test did a pretty good job. I am majoring in Journalism, but i'm considering switching to English. I also plan to minor in Theater.
Posted by: Faithful | June 22, 2009 5:17 PM