First year student.. need some advice/insight :(

[FT2FLY]

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[sgv]

wtf are you talking about? the last time most first year students took chemistry was in 10th grade. are you at UofT or something?

what could they possibly be teaching at your university that makes you put up your white flag? valence electrons? boiling points? colligative properties? redox reactions? radioactivity? laws of thermodynamics? these are normal basic chemistry stuff dude.

 

[cacajuate]

Your intro chem classes didn't start with the basics? Have you taken any test or quizzes to actually see if you are that far behind?


I had a 8 year gap in between the times I took chemistry. I didn't remember a single thing the first day of class. My class started at the basics and I made sure to read what was assigned and I had no trouble at all.

 

[doc toothache]

What sucks though, is that I'm having to drop chemistry which puts me behind. I'll probably have to take the Canadian high school grade 12 level chem class to catch up just because it's so transitional to the university first year chem course.

You should spend less time worrying about what your peers are doing and worry more about what's best for your. It may "suck" to drop a course, but it will "suck" a heck of a lot more if you end up being ill prepared or, at worst, failing the course.

 

[FT2FLY]

wtf are you talking about? the last time most first year students took chemistry was in 10th grade. are you at UofT or something?

what could they possibly be teaching at your university that makes you put up your white flag? valence electrons? boiling points? colligative properties? redox reactions? radioactivity? laws of thermodynamics? these are normal basic chemistry stuff dude.

Your intro chem classes didn't start with the basics? Have you taken any test or quizzes to actually see if you are that far behind?


I had a 8 year gap in between the times I took chemistry. I didn't remember a single thing the first day of class. My class started at the basics and I made sure to read what was assigned and I had no trouble at all.

That's what I was thinking was going to happen. We had two lectures on the high school basics... practically all of Canadian high school chemistry reviewed in two lectures and then it was going straight into Quantum and details about it. Our 4th chapter for the semester is Organic Chemistry..

I assumed they'd start from the bottom and work their way up. But in Canada they extend off the high school courses which is unfortunate for someone like me from the US. Kids here take grade 11 chem, then grade 12 chem, then they go to university chem.

In the USA... 10th grade chemistry and then first year chemistry would have been perfect. I just didn't realize that university out here is so Canadian high school dependent.

 

[FT2FLY]

You should spend less time worrying about what your peers are doing and worry more about what's best for your. It may "suck" to drop a course, but it will "suck" a heck of a lot more if you end up being ill prepared or, at worst, failing the course.

You're right. My professor pretty much looked me in the eye and demanded that I drop before someone in my position gets too brave and hurts themselves later.

 

[sgv]

That's what I was thinking was going to happen. We had two lectures on the high school basics... practically all of Canadian high school chemistry reviewed in two lectures and then it was going straight into Quantum and details about it. Our 4th chapter for the semester is Organic Chemistry..

I assumed they'd start from the bottom and work their way up. But in Canada they extend off the high school courses which is unfortunate for someone like me from the US.

In the USA... 10th grade chemistry and then first year chemistry would have been perfect. I just didn't realize that university out here is so Canadian high school dependent.

What, you mean quantum spins, particles (alpha, gamma, etc), hybrdization and orbitals? That's gen chem bro...

try using Khanacademy

 

[FT2FLY]

What, you mean quantum spins, particles (alpha, gamma, etc) and orbitals? That's gen chem bro...

Honestly, it's not even the content. I can sit there and grasp it all pretty well. It takes hours a day of course considering I'm pretty much at ground zero as far as chem is concerned. I think it's the how quickly things are moving and the volume of new information. Those "review sessions" in our class were stuff I had to sit down and learn for the first time. Prof made it clear to me that things are just going to get more complex from here.

 

[FT2FLY]

What do you guys say about first year Biology? Is it something that years of foundation is necessary for? I understand every university is different.. but just for insight purposes.

 

[sgv]

Dude maybe you're confusing confidence in your own ability with the difference in pace between HS and college...the learning curve was logarithmic from high school to college and from college to DS. From my perspective at this stage as a professional student, the pace of HS was incredibly slow. Like I would argue that HS could easily be condensed into two years for people who managed to get into DS, no problem. It wasn't insane for me to study for 12 hours every Sat and Sun before an exam in college. Would that have been insane for me if I were in high school? probably.

if your gut says you need time to adjust or take a remedial course before taking the real deal then drop it

 

[FT2FLY]

Dude maybe you're confusing confidence in your own ability with the difference in pace between HS and college...the learning curve was logarithmic from high school to college and from college to DS. From my perspective at this stage as a professional student, the pace of HS was incredibly slow. Like I would argue that HS could easily be condensed into two years for people who managed to get into DS, no problem. It wasn't insane for me to study for 12 hours every Sat and Sun before an exam in college. Would that have been insane for me if I were in high school? probably.

if your gut says you need time to adjust or take a remedial course before taking the real deal then drop it

Thank you.

 

[Jbrowndds]

PLEASE READ:

This is my first semester in university. I went to high school in the US but I'm studying in Canada now. Since day one of my university I pretty much realized that I was not as well prepared as my peers were specifically in sciences.

That being said, I took Chemistry back in the 10th grade (in the US), and my peers have practically took it almost every year of high school in their Canadian schools & transitioned into university level.

Me on the other hand, well.. for the past 20 days I've been studying on some MCAT level work ethic just to keep my nose above water in my courses. It's really frustrating to see how fast these guys are flying through the material and how long it's taking me to catch up to JUST first year chemistry....

I talked to my professor the other day and he suggested that I drop my Chem class because of the two year break I've had since the last time I saw the content. He said for someone with my experience level is not in a position to excel in the course. To be honest.. I pretty much walked into university chemistry with zero knowledge and the past month has been extremely hectic trying to get caught back up.

What sucks though, is that I'm having to drop chemistry which puts me behind. I'll probably have to take the Canadian high school grade 12 level chem class to catch up just because it's so transitional to the university first year chem course.

I should have worked harder in the sciences in high school... BUT I feel the insecurity now. I'm a year behind on a pre-req for dental school while my peers are flying through it. I pretty much developed a crazy work ethic because I had to. but it wasn't healthy. I haven't enjoyed my university experience all month because I've been in front of a book everyday...


I don't know about Biology, & if it requires a level of prior experience like chemistry does... but I'm thinking that studying what's presented to my in lecture and deeply understanding it would be good enough to do well in the course. I took it in 9th grade of high school.


Do these things happen a lot? Any advice? Any insight?

I understand how you feel. Try Chad's videos. They help me so I hope they help you too.

 

[Crithu]

Like someone before said, Khan Academy is supposed to be a helpful tool. I haven't had to use it personally, but my high school pushed it a lot. I live in the U.S. in the midwest, and I took two years of chemistry in high school (my junior and senior year). Maybe my school was just weird for having more than one chem class.

 

[2thsaver]

Since I don't know any different, I couldn't imagine taking first year chemistry without taking it in grade 11 and 12. Here in Canada, grade 11 and 12 chemistry/biology are pre-req's for university level chemistry/biology. I always thought it was the same in the US. I think after taking the grade 12 chem class you will do great at the university level. It's worth it to be a year behind. You do not want your GPA to start low. It sucks digging yourself out of the hole. Just my 2 cents!

But if you don't mind me asking, which university are you attending?

 

[swindoll]

OP, I know what you mean! However, general chemistry is not a difficult course! I know it may seem overwhelming at first, but you got this!

 

[techyguy]

@FT2FLY, do you have a link to a syllabus for this chemistry course? I'd kind of like to see what they're up to at your University.

 

[SXCoronado]

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[FT2FLY]

Since I don't know any different, I couldn't imagine taking first year chemistry without taking it in grade 11 and 12. Here in Canada, grade 11 and 12 chemistry/biology are pre-req's for university level chemistry/biology. I always thought it was the same in the US. I think after taking the grade 12 chem class you will do great at the university level. It's worth it to be a year behind. You do not want your GPA to start low. It sucks digging yourself out of the hole. Just my 2 cents!

But if you don't mind me asking, which university are you attending?

Hey man, I'm at Western. How about you?

 

[FT2FLY]

@FT2FLY, do you have a link to a syllabus for this chemistry course? I'd kind of like to see what they're up to at your University.

Yes, it's right here: http://www.uwo.ca/chem/undergraduate/docs/outlines/1301.pdf

 

[Ultrafear]

No offense but that looks like a pretty generic freshmen level gen chem class (minus thermo).

 

[sgv]

Yes, it's right here: http://www.uwo.ca/chem/undergraduate/docs/outlines/1301.pdf

okay i looked at your syllabus...chapters 1-3 is typical general chemistry...chapter 4 is the easiest part of ochem and it's just memorization of a few concepts...i remember prestudying material similar to chapter 4 in the summer before i started ochem

i honestly think you misinterpreted the different pace of college w/ your own ability to adapt to the pace...i would've stuck with it...give it a good weekend and you should be able to knock out chapters 1 and most of 2...if you've never tried studying for an entire weekend for at least 9 hrs/day, give it a shot because sooner or later you're gonna have to...

good luck bro, don't be afraid to challenge yourself...we all felt the same fear of failure when coming up against higher standards

 

[2thsaver]

Hey man, I'm at Western. How about you?

I completed my degrees at Brock (I live 10 minutes away). But your syllabus looks pretty straight forward. That's only first semester right? Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[FT2FLY]

okay i looked at your syllabus...chapters 1-3 is typical general chemistry...chapter 4 is the easiest part of ochem and it's just memorization of a few concepts...i remember prestudying material similar to chapter 4 in the summer before i started ochem

i honestly think you misinterpreted the different pace of college w/ your own ability to adapt to the pace...i would've stuck with it...give it a good weekend and you should be able to knock out chapters 1 and most of 2...if you've never tried studying for an entire weekend for at least 9 hrs/day, give it a shot because sooner or later you're gonna have to...

good luck bro, don't be afraid to challenge yourself...we all felt the same fear of failure when coming up against higher standards

thank you for the advice man.. can I send a message, I have a quick question.

 

[sgv]

thank you for the advice man.. can I send a message, I have a quick question.

sure