Easy Professor v. Hard Professor

[Twiigg]

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So I am getting ready for General Chemistry 2 next semester and I have two choices of professors. I could take Gen Chem 2 with the same professor that I had for Gen Chem 1, but he is extremely difficult. I got an "A", but I spent a ton of time studying. Or, I could take it with a different professor who I heard was less difficult. I'm thinking about taking it with the easier teacher so I can focus a lot more on my other science classes, which had to take a back seat to chemistry last semester... 🙁 I heard General Chemistry 1 (because it is more conceptual) helps a lot more with the MCAT than 2, which is more mathematical. So.... Should I take General Chemistry 2 with my previous, extremely difficult professor; or, should i take the class with what appears to be an easier professor? Thanks in advance!

 

[erica31]

Yes, more of Chem 1 is on the MCAT than chem 2 (although I do remember a difficult titration question), so I'd probably recommend the Chem 2 be taken with the easy prof. Grades matter; the difficulty of some unknown prof to an adcom does not.

Here is why: if you are in your freshmen year, the MCAT is still at least 2 yrs away for you, and even if you take the harder class and learn the material really well (and manage to get an A) your recall of the material probably wont be good enough to help you when its time for the MCAT.

I aced my chem 1& 2 in my first year... but could not for the life of me recall it for the MCAT and still had to study a lot to do well.

So I am getting ready for General Chemistry 2 next semester and I have two choices of professors. I could take Gen Chem 2 with the same professor that I had for Gen Chem 1, but he is extremely difficult. I got an "A", but I spent a ton of time studying. Or, I could take it with a different professor who I heard was less difficult. I'm thinking about taking it with the easier teacher so I can focus a lot more on my other science classes, which had to take a back seat to chemistry last semester... 🙁 I heard General Chemistry 1 (because it is more conceptual) helps a lot more with the MCAT than 2, which is more mathematical. So.... Should I take General Chemistry 2 with my previous, extremely difficult professor; or, should i take the class with what appears to be an easier professor? Thanks in advance!

 

[DoctorOfRock]

I think that you would benefit to take it with the more difficult professor. I understand that there are other classes you need to get out of the way, but in the end, it's your education. It seems to me that you earned your A in his first class, which indicates some mastery of the material. It's clearly possible for you to make another A, with a little bit of time and effort. In the end, I think you'll be glad that you spent more time to actually comprehend the material instead of just taking the easy way out to get the grade. That's just my two cents.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

EASY PROF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll learn the MCAT stuff when you study for it, and I'm sure you'll get a good enough foundation with the easier prof. I don't care what people say about ECs and stuff, they only matter if your grades are high enough to get a school to look at your app, so do whatever you can to get the higher grades. I wish I had taken easier profs.

 

[emttim]

So I am getting ready for General Chemistry 2 next semester and I have two choices of professors. I could take Gen Chem 2 with the same professor that I had for Gen Chem 1, but he is extremely difficult. I got an "A", but I spent a ton of time studying. Or, I could take it with a different professor who I heard was less difficult. I'm thinking about taking it with the easier teacher so I can focus a lot more on my other science classes, which had to take a back seat to chemistry last semester... 🙁 I heard General Chemistry 1 (because it is more conceptual) helps a lot more with the MCAT than 2, which is more mathematical. So.... Should I take General Chemistry 2 with my previous, extremely difficult professor; or, should i take the class with what appears to be an easier professor? Thanks in advance!

General Chemistry 2 is enough material on it's own without an extremely difficult professor ratcheting up the amount of time you have to spend in the class to do well. I am finishing this class up myself this semester, and honestly, there wasn't that much useful information in it. Gen Chem 2 is essentially a math class. I haven't taken the MCAT, so I'm not sure what extent of either class is on the MCAT, but your grades obviously are important for applying to med school...so I'd recommend doing all that you can to make sure they're as high as possible (within reason of course).

Besides, I would imagine almost everyone who takes the MCAT gets a study guide or takes a course such as Kaplan or whatnot anyway, so anything you didn't grasp 100% you will have the chance to review later anyway.

 

[erica31]

I don't agree with DoctorofRock.. although I think its a great answer, and truly "gets at" the basis of education.

If the OP knows his only desire is to attend med school, and has no interest in even visiting the field of gen chem as a career choice, then the best option for him is to do whatever necessary to get into med school. And if that means taking a prof who gives out A's more readily, than so be it.

 

[Begaster]

Take it with the easy prof. General chemistry is not a hard concept to master for the MCAT. Your grade is far more important than what you'll learn in the class, and subsequently forget by the time you do the MCAT.

 

[wanabdoc]

OMG, easy prof is the obvious answer, the A, 4.0x4, whatever is much more important that what you learn. Learning is good, but getting a high grade is better because that is what everyone looks at. Don't hate the player, hate the game...

 

[wanabdoc]

Also, study as hard as you can even for the easy prof, but at least you will have a buffer in case you are not quite prepared for a test like you should have been because of your other pre-med activites...

 

[Haro4130Frame]

Go with the easy professor. An A with them will be looked at the same as an A with the hard one. MCAT Chem is IMO different from undergrad chem since its more conceptual. Youll learn what you need to know either way.

 

[Chuckwalla]

Unless you know the hard prof really well and they promised to get you into your dream med school if you get another A in their class, I would go with the easy one.

 

[greg1184]

A hard professor does not necessarily mean a good professor.

Go with the easy professor if you can. It is not worth ruining your grade on account of the difficulty of exams. In the end, no ADCOM is going to give a damn if you got a C in class X because the professor is hard. They are only going to see the "C".

 

[Kthanksbye]

A hard professor does not necessarily mean a good professor.

Go with the easy professor if you can. It is not worth ruining your grade on account of the difficulty of exams. In the end, no ADCOM is going to give a damn if you got a C in class X because the professor is hard. They are only going to see the "C".

Exactly.

Op, dude, are you really asking this question?

 

[Bre]

Take it from someone who took the hard classes/professors, your GPA is more important - get the A. It's a shame that is what the pre-med game has boiled down to, but it's reality. Everybody else plays the GPA game so if you don't do it too you are handicapping yourself.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

ALWAYS TAKE THE EASIER PROFESSOR...it's like the law...

 

[Vihsadas]

ALWAYS TAKE THE EASIER PROFESSOR...it's like the law...

Seriously if you keep taking hard profs YOU ARE GOING TO END UP LIKE ME. I had the three hardest math profs teach me three ridiculous classes: Linear Algebra, Advanced Calculus, and Vectors 1. The class avg evertime was a low C-. Needless to say, this is one of the reasons that my chances are hurting. (Of course, my immaturity probably had more to do with it, but better/easier profs definitely would have helped)