Are Summer Classes More Difficult?

[IWant2BeADoctor]

I'm taking Chem 101 and 102 this Summer. And currently am in the process of finishing the last week of Chem 101 and taking the final. However I'm finding that Chem 101 seems so much more difficult than I thought it was going to be. Normally Exams get curved or the lowest Exam score out of 3 is dropped. But the way our Professor grades we only get a "curve" based on the performance of the class as a whole.

Exams are 80% of our grade and the class average has been 75%. I've talked to a friend who took Chem 101 in a regular semester and he said the class average was around 60% with a 85% being an A.

I find it rather difficult just to maintain a B. We have an Exam every other week that covers 3 chapters of material which is around 100-140 pages.

Is it just me or are Summer Classes more difficult and its students more likely to outperform?

According to my Professor 4 students got perfect Exam scores on our last Exam.😱

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[LifetimeDoc]

I think summer courses are easier because you have fewer classes to focus on, and the coursework isn't spread out so far that you don't have time to touch upon the material in sufficient depth. I prefer classes to be intensive like that so that I can focus on learning the material all at once, similar to what I think medical school courses will be like. You just have to learn to not put off studying for courses that are that short because a delay of a few days is magnified, probably equivalent to a week or two of a regular semester course depending on the length of the summer course.

 

[bluesTank]

My experiences are, the prof's at the beginning always threaten that this is a "normal" semester course-load compacted into a summer semester...but it has always been complete BS.

 

[TheRealMD]

If it's not a "foundations" class like gchem, ochem, or physics that leads to more complicated stuff, prof's usually just skip around less pertinent info.

HOWEVER, it's you're trying to shove a pre-req in a summer to get it out of the way, it usually ends up being hell because it's a pre-req for med school and most upper division classes for a reason. You learn a lot of basic info that requires memorization in order for you to use in your future courses.

 

[armybound]

Must depend on the course.

I found o-chem to be very easy over the summer when I took it. I also noticed when my friends took it during the regular school year that they learned a lot of things I never learned, and they knew the material better.

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

Did you guys get a curve? Chem isn't that hard conceptually but getting an A in this Summer course seems near impossible. With no curve you have to have a 90% average on Exams.

 

[prmdbeach17]

Ochem for me was better over the summer save for the fact that I had to learn some stuff on my own because it was at a different school than my organic 1 was. However, our second exam avg. was a 55%...adn the professor claims we have covered everything exactly like they would have in a normal semester.

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

Ochem for me was better over the summer save for the fact that I had to learn some stuff on my own because it was at a different school than my organic 1 was. However, our second exam avg. was a 55%...adn the professor claims we have covered everything exactly like they would have in a normal semester.

I wish the average was 55%. My friend got an A in Orgo with a 70%.

 

[Jaded03]

Well, I'll put it this way...

1. Every university is different; every professor is different; every class is different. You won't get a straight answer this way. It's kinda like for a lot of people on here.

2. As far as ADCOMs are concerned, they don't really care. I don't even think they'd bother to look at the terms you took your courses in (understanding your course load/term), etc. etc. It's much like the honors thread. Nice to know that it's harder in theory, but you should've done well regardless. You picked your classes.

3. It has been stated that you should do a class because you want to. ADCOMs want to see you excel in learning whatever is given to you. You really can't resort to it was "impossible". You just can't. I'm not trying to be a douche here, you just can't give the excuse that it was too much and everyone else is in the same boat. Even if it is true. I would totally pull that card if it worked. If you don't enjoy the class because it doesn't make any sense to do so, then drop it.

4. As far summer classes goes, some are hard because professors refuse to give up the intended material for the regular timespan of the course. Some are easy because they adjust to have appropriate timing to deliver the lessons. Take your pick, but honestly if the professor of your class is trying to make sure you cover all the material intended and test you on them when you're supposed to learn them. I don't see how he's being unfair. 😳

 

[smeagol]

While the course material may not be harder, I did notice that students, in general, received higher percentage marks on tests during the summer.

As previously mentioned, some only take 1-2 summer classes and although summers are shorter, it's a bit less than the usual fall/spring load.

I also considered the possibility that MAYBE the pool of students taking courses over the summer exclude a lot of the those 'I don't give a sh**' kids. Kids, who of course, would score at the very low end of the curve when they take the courses in the fall & spring.

Good luck though

 

[circumspect]

I'm taking Calculus and Statistics this summer. I would agree that every professor is different in regard to summer classes. My statistics teacher doesn't collect homework and our grades are based mainly on the 6 tests we'll receive and a final project.

In calculus, we're quizzed from the hw every morning, have a test every week, and two sections of homework every night (a chapter a week). I compared the syllabuses for this term and last spring, and the assignments are exactly the same, except compressed into a much shorter time-frame. 😱

Statistics is a breeze by comparison, and the work load is about a 6th of the time I have to put in to make the grade for calc, but it's only a 1 credit difference on my transcript.

I guess it's really just a matter of what the professor thinks it'll take for you to grasp the material. It could be harder, easier, or the same depending on what angle you're forced to take it from. And if you can't handle it, you have very little say in the matter. Tough cookies.

 

[Hershi]

Im taking physics right now. We have 2 recitation quizzes weekly and an online quiz worth both together work 40% ..2 exams - midterm and final worth 30% each. there arent really curves in the summer but I like it this way.

 

[da8s0859q]

My experiences are, the prof's at the beginning always threaten that this is a "normal" semester course-load compacted into a summer semester...but it has always been complete BS.

There is some truth to this.

But summer classes just don't lend themselves well to learning the same material in as thorough a way as regular term classes do. I'm taking physics right now, and not only do I wonder how much of this I will recognize on the MCAT, but it's difficult as all hell - the class average after two exams is a 50something.