How can I be a scientist?

Question

I'm a freshman in high school and I love science. I love astronomy and biology.

1.) What good colleges can I take in the US for those majors?

2.) How many years of college will I have to take?

3.) HOW can I become a scientist?

Answer 1

1.)  Many colleges will give you a good education, just base your decision on the area.

2.) You'll need about 5 years of college for you B.S. in a science field

3.) After that you can continue in school and get a Masters/PHD or you can go into the research field for a school or business.

Answer 2

1.) I'm not familiar with the range of good science colleges, but there are many resources online.  Check out the "MatchMaker" at CollegeBoard.com (evil corporation that it is).  There is a complex section on majors that could possibly point you in the right direction.  Here is the link:  http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/se...

2.) That really depends on what you want to do.  A student at my college who is about to graduate has developed a special type of hinge that he intends to patent.  His four years here might be all he does.  On the other hands, there are many reasons why you may want or need to attend grad school.  I'm sorry I don't know a lot about this.

3.) Probably some of the most important opportunities you'll have will be in college.  You will be doing research with professors who are experts in their fields.  I'm sure you'll be able to figure out your direction as a scientist during your undergraduate years.  In the mean time, take lots of science and math courses in high school.  You will need the math no matter what scientific field you go into.  It's simple enough to take calculus in college, and the college might have requirements that high school courses can't meet, but it's still a good idea.  A high score on the math section of the SAT is also important.

Once again, I'm no expert on this.  If you go to a decent high school, your guidance counselor should have good advice and perhaps experience with the situation.  Good luck!