Orgo and biochem/physics advice

[redlight]

Im considering taking orgo and physics next year but most people here (or at least most bio majors) take biochem with orgo. any thoughts on which two i should take together?

the reason i want to take physics is because i find mechanics to be mostly easy so i think i can really focus on orgo and not have to fret over another science like many of the other people taking orgo (for the first semester at least. i cant say the same for second semester because ive never seen any kind of e&m physics stuff).

also, do you guys know of any very good books to complement the textbooks (for orgo physics and or biochem)... and any general studying advice would be appreciated. thanks!

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[tmac11]

I took Org 1 and Physics 1 last quarter and doing the same this quarter with the second part of each course. It's not that bad, but I also think it depends on your school. I would talk to some people who've gone that route or have taken the classes to get a feel for the difficulty of each course. Oh yea, studying wise, practice is your best bet for both classes. Understand the concepts behind what is being asked of you.

 

[redlight]

I took Org 1 and Physics 1 last quarter and doing the same this quarter with the second part of each course. It's not that bad, but I also think it depends on your school.

the vast majority of people i know who will take orgo next year will either take it with gen bio, a neuroscience, or biochem class. most ppl take physics freshman or junior year... i dont know anyone taking physics and and orgo but i bet im not the only one..someone told me many chem majors chose that route. i guess ill ask around.

do you plan on taking biochem? why did you chose to opt orgo and physics?

 

[tmac11]

I chose to take both at the same because I wanted to get them over with and I knew a few people who had gone that route. I wouldn't mind taking biochem but I am a biology/business double major so I don't know if I will have the time to fit it in. From what you've said, whatever route you do choose to go shouldn't cause any sort of problem. See what other people say and what would fit your schedule best.

 

[xrevision]

I went the orgo/physics route, and it worked out fine.

 

[redlight]

I chose to take both at the same because I wanted to get them over with and I knew a few people who had gone that route. I wouldn't mind taking biochem but I am a biology/business double major so I don't know if I will have the time to fit it in. From what you've said, whatever route you do choose to go shouldn't cause any sort of problem. See what other people say and what would fit your schedule best.

i think the reason so many people (mainly bio majors) take orgo and biochem together sophomore years is because biochem is a prerequisite for many of the upper level bio classes, such as genetics

and i remember reading that orgo was a co or pre-requisite for biochem at my school.

i think i want to do orgo w/ physics, then biochem junior years, and finally pchem senior year if i major in chem. most of the people i've talked to about orgo, biochem, and pchem say i should definitely take a lighter science course load those semesters.. i think i'll heed their advice and spread those courses out over 3 years

 

[tmac11]

Sounds like a plan. Good luck with the courses.

 

[[pj]]

I have never heard of anyone taking biochem concurrently with ochem. While you don't need to remember everything about ochem, it would be difficult to get a good grasp of biochem without knowledge of basic ochem principles.

 

[[pj]]

i think i want to do orgo w/ physics, then biochem junior years, and finally pchem senior year if i major in chem. most of the people i've talked to about orgo, biochem, and pchem say i should definitely take a lighter science course load those semesters.. i think i'll head their advice and spread those courses out over 3 years

Sounds good.

 

[al112987]

i think the reason so many people (mainly bio majors) take orgo and biochem together sophomore years is because biochem is a prerequisite for many of the upper level bio classes, such as genetics

and i remember reading that orgo was a co or pre-requisite for biochem at my school.

i think i want to do orgo w/ physics, then biochem junior years, and finally pchem senior year if i major in chem. most of the people i've talked to about orgo, biochem, and pchem say i should definitely take a lighter science course load those semesters.. i think i'll head their advice and spread those courses out over 3 years

Haha, I'm in orgo, genetics, and pchem all this semester right now (currently a sophmore). At my school, biochem isn't a prerequisite for genetics, even for graduate level genetics.

The thing is, if you want to major in something like chemistry, you're not going to graduate on time if you don't have tough semesters. Eventually you're going to end up with a list of classes that make you want to stab yourself in the eye repeatedly with a pen. Because no matter what, you're going to have a schedule full of upper level chemistry classes by your junior and senior years. Unless of course you're school only requires a few chem classes for the major.

 

[redlight]

Haha, I'm in orgo, genetics, and pchem all this semester right now (currently a sophmore). At my school, biochem isn't a prerequisite for genetics, even for graduate level genetics.

The thing is, if you want to major in something like chemistry, you're not going to graduate on time if you don't have tough semesters. Eventually you're going to end up with a list of classes that make you want to stab yourself in the eye repeatedly with a pen. Because no matter what, you're going to have a schedule full of upper level chemistry classes by your junior and senior years. Unless of course you're school only requires a few chem classes for the major.

yep.. i don't think i have to take any lecture-based course beyond pchem. i need to take a few advanced labs but im 90% sure pchem will be my final chem lecture course.

kudos for taking such a crazy course load. how in the world are you taking orgo and pchem concurrently? and how many total credits are you taking this semester? are you at an engineering school?

 

[redlight]

I have never heard of anyone taking biochem concurrently with ochem. While you don't need to remember everything about ochem, it would be difficult to get a good grasp of biochem without knowledge of basic ochem principles.

not only are people expected to take them together, the exams are also synchronized so that you have them back to back (referring to back-to-back exam days, though, and not back-to-back exam class periods). it's hell..

 

[bigDee]

I'm doing it now. Calc 1, Ochem 2, Physics 2. I'm behind in physics but we haven't had our first exam so I don't know how I'll do. We had our first test yesterday in ochem and I did good.

 

[al112987]

yep.. i don't think i have to take any lecture-based course beyond pchem. i need to take a few advanced labs but im 90% sure pchem will be my final chem lecture course.

kudos for taking such a crazy course load. how in the world are you taking orgo and pchem concurrently? and how many total credits are you taking this semester? are you at an engineering school?

Nope! Just normal college (UNC), p.chem has its own set of pre-req's here quite unrelated to organic chemistry (calc I-III, differential eq'ns, gen chem, mechanics and electromagnetism). In total, I'm taking 17 out of 18 maximum credits (plus doing research which I don't get credit for, ergh...).

Its actually the worst semester of my life. In conjunction to all my classes, doing any extracurriculars at all simply robs me of any free time I have left (and digging heavily into my sleep time). and I also have the feeling my GPA is going to take a real beating after this year is over (I already told myself if I make straight A's, I'm going to convert to Christianity simply for the sake of thanking God).

But I signed up for all these classes to give me space to drop one if I'm doing poorly at the drop deadline.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

do whatever is normal at your school....

on a side note, don't torment yourself with biochem in senior year...take it asap and just get it over with

 

[[pj]]

not only are people expected to take them together, the exams are also synchronized so that you have them back to back (referring to back-to-back exam days, though, and not back-to-back exam class periods). it's hell..

Wow, that sucks and sounds unnecessarily painful.

 

[redlight]

the vast majority of people i know who will take orgo next year will either take it with gen bio, a neuroscience, or biochem class. most ppl take physics freshman or junior year... i dont know anyone taking physics and and orgo but i bet im not the only one..someone told me many chem majors chose that route. i guess ill ask around.

do you plan on taking biochem? why did you chose to opt orgo and physics?

remember how i said id try and find people who took organic and physics together?
i only found 1 person at my school (meh, i guess i wasnt asking the right people) and her gpa went from a 3.8 going into the fall to a 3.3 by the end of the semester lol. yikess. she said she just sucks at physics and fell behind (cant recall her excuse of organic)... hopefully it wont be so bad for me haha

any more people care to share? how did physics + organic w/ labs go? do you recommend it over taking organic and biochem w/ labs? and how many credits did you take that semester?
i signed up for organic and physics but i can change any time between now and 2 weeks into the semester. hopefully i wont need to..

 

[bigDee]

I took calculus, physics 2, and ochem 2 in the spring.
Physics 2 - B
Ochem 2 - A
Calculus - A+

I was never good at physics. It was my hardest class even though I took it at a community college and the rest at university (utd).

 

[bigDee]

At my school ochem is a prereq for biochem so no one does it together.

 

[georgearms]

Would this be hell?

Gen Bio
Gen Physics
Orgo

 

[doomknight]

I took orgo during spring of my freshman year, and orgo II/lab that summer.

 

[doomknight]

Would this be hell?

Gen Bio
Gen Physics
Orgo

Orgo = memorization
Bio = memorization

if u can handle that you should be fine. Physics is easy if u are at least OK at math and can plug and chuck

 

[seraph524]

I would also go as far to say physics = memorization (for the algebra based series).

 

[redlight]

haha, maybe not even memorization

i just looked over online back-tests for previous 1st physics I exams (04 and 05) and i got through the questions pretty quickly with no problem (i took both honors and ap physics in hs.). all the formulas you needed were actually listed on the tests (mostly kinematic eqs.. do profs usually give formals on physics tests??)... i can only hope i get one of those professors (who wrote those tests i went over) next semester ...

haha, too bad i didnt take orgo in hs

 

[CHINGchongDING]

yes, i think alot of physics and organic chemistry was lots studying. memorize alot gave me lots of success. but i thinks thats wrong way to learn it. successful for exam, but not long runs

 

[RUc10]

I'm taking orgo and physics next semester and undecided on whether or not to add Calc II as well since the professor teaching Calc in the fall doesn't do it every semester.. so I'm also looking forward to hearing what people think about that schedule.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

I'm planning to take ochem 1, physics 1, genetics and calc 1 in the fall.

 

[MossPoh]

I had organic I and physics II with lab in the same semester and it wasn't the bad. The worst thing was the homework for physics. It consumed like 10 hours a week.

 

[gatorsforchrist]

I took Organic 2, Physics 2, and Intro. to Financial Accounting (thought I wanted to get a Business minor) and did well. 2 A's and a B+.

I would say taking Organic and Biochem. together depends on the department that offers the course. My school (UF) offers at least two separate Biochem. courses. One is mechanism based (chem. department) and the other based on physiology (COM based).

If you a lot your time wisely, you will kick some tail. Good luck!

 

[redlight]

I had organic I and physics II with lab in the same semester and it wasn't the bad. The worst thing was the homework for physics. It consumed like 10 hours a week.

yea thats pretty much why im ruling out taking stats next semester (i already took calc I and II, and dont know if calc III will be worth it taking because idk if i'll ever use that knowledge..) physics + ochem hw will be really time consuming.. and i hear organic lab will be as well.

general question to all:

would biochem + lab be more time consuming than physics + lab given the hw for physics on top of covering more than 15chapters?