u/saf4xo

I’m a BSc Biotechnology student at the University of Prince Edward Island, and I’ll be starting my second year this fall.
My long term goal is to work in bioinformatics. Since not many universities offer bioinformatics as a bachelor’s degree, I chose biotechnology with the plan of doing a Master’s in Bioinformatics after I finish my bachelor’s.
For the fall , I need to choose between two statistics courses:

• STATS 1210, which is designed for life sciences students.
• STATS 1910, which includes a lab component and teaches R.

I’ve attached screenshots of the course descriptions.

For people who work in bioinformatics or are currently studying it, which course would be the better choice if my goal is to pursue a Master’s in Bioinformatics and eventually work in the field?

I’m not very strong in mathematics, so that’s another factor I’m considering.
Although STATS 1210 is designed for life sciences, STATS 1910 includes programming in R, which seems useful for bioinformatics. Would taking STATS 1910 be more beneficial in the long run despite being more math focused?

Also, how important is R compared to Python in bioinformatics today? If you were starting from scratch, which language would you prioritize learning first?
I’d really appreciate any advice from people in the field.

Thanks!