3 classes=good idea?

[quidam]

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hi there:

seeking wisdom from folks who are further along in their process than i.
currently doing post-bac work at a 4-year college and working on bringing up my GPA. finished second round of gen chem and physics after a 6 year break. i received a c+ in genetics, however, due to an exceptionally poor recitation instructor. regardless, i would like to move onto the next course in the series: cell/molecular biology.

my spring courseload would consist of orgo I, cell/molec, and calculus. this would be my third time taking calculus (C in undergrad and D after retake Spring of '10), but a more intense/rigorous version (typically reserved for engineers). i am quite familiar with the material in calc 1 but still expect this course to be extremely difficult depending on the professor, especially with the biology and orgo classes.

my question (sorry for the prologue, lol) is: do you think it is a good idea to take all 3 of these courses at once or should i drop the calc course and use the extra time to volunteer/shadow.

other details:not sure of cGPA but uGPA was approx 3.5, second degree GPA (after 2 semesters) is 2.65, but trending upward. i think i have developed a solid study technique; should i risk the calculus?

thanks in advance for any help; and let me know if anything here is confusing or needs clarification!

 

[TriagePreMed]

I wouldn't take some engineering calculus. There's no point unless you're trying to get an engineering degree. Can you succeed in these classes? Absolutely, but if you're having trouble with the Calculus, I'd reconsider that course and instead take a more "cushy" elective like medical terminology/general health ed/etc (if your concern is GPA) or no class.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

gonna have to agree with above. the concern i would have is a repeat of the C+ or similar grade. I believe you when you say you have your study habbits figured out, however maybe you should test them before you take something you may not be able to handle. I also understand there are poor professors, but med school doesn't care. what happens if you need to teach yourself all of the material. you need As.

 

[quidam]

sooo i dropped the calculus class. it IS engineering calculus and while i have seen the material before and have an excellent tutor on-hand, i think it will be a bit much. i opted to for calc because it is the only science-ish course that is available at my school that i have not already taken or that does not require a pre-req.
now i just have to prep for the spring semester (it's common knowledge that the prof i chose is the chemistry version of jack the ripper). after trying to tackle an ochem textbook for the past 2 weeks, i've decided instead to opt for 'organic chemistry as a second language' and read that cover to cover over the winter break.
thank you guys so much for the advice. now...what to do in the meantime? thinking the rehabilitation center nearby is a good place to start shadowing...

 

[CopToEM]

i've decided instead to opt for 'organic chemistry as a second language' and read that cover to cover over the winter break.

That's a good idea. That book is excellent. Do NOT let Organic scare you... I personally thought it was the easiest class I've had in the past three semesters. I ended up with an A- in there and an A+ in the lab. I took it alongside Calculus 2 and Physics and it was the easier of the three.

 

[TriagePreMed]

That's a good idea. That book is excellent. Do NOT let Organic scare you... I personally thought it was the easiest class I've had in the past three semesters. I ended up with an A- in there and an A+ in the lab. I took it alongside Calculus 2 and Physics and it was the easier of the three.

I bought that book thinking I was going to be able to take the class this spring. I read 8 chapters and did about 1/4 of the exercises. It all makes much more sense than the crap in General Chemistry.

 

[CopToEM]

I bought that book thinking I was going to be able to take the class this spring. I read 8 chapters and did about 1/4 of the exercises. It all makes much more sense than the crap in General Chemistry.

It is a very different kind of science. For one, it's very biological so it's easier to "picture in your mind's eye" so to speak. In a lot of ways the book title tells the truth - it's a lot like learning a new language.

It's absolutely nothing like general chemistry. We had one calculation the entire first semester and it was a very easy formula. Second semester presents some other calculations but they're also similar in nature.

I truly believe the reason that many struggle with it is because it is likely the first introduction to a course that truly has a wealth of information presented in a short period of time. Gen Chem is rigorous in a lot of ways but there's not nearly as much memorization as Organic requires.

As weird as it sounds.... I too truly liked organic. It's challenging in volume and "keeping things straight" but it's in no way a difficult subject.