Possible to take Gen.Chem & OChem at the same time?

[yann]

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So I'm feeling really pressured right now from my mom, who really wants me to finish taking classes in a year (including summer sem). And since I've been doing my own research and hanging around here for a while now, I understand that the wise thing to do is to take 2years to take all my pre-reqs, which is a lot. First time I posted, I wasn't very sure on how financially secure I would be, and I had received very helpful feedbacks from fellow SDN-ers that I would need at least 2 years to finish all of this, have time to shadow and work part-time, and manage a good grade. But now, it seems more likely that I would not have to worry about the rent or the daily expenses.

Putting this secure (hopefully) financial aspect into consideration, would it be suicidal of me to enroll in Gen. Chem & Ochem at the same time? Or, if not at the same time then take only Gen. chem in the first semester and enroll in Ochem as well from the second semester, and finish off the 2nd sem of Ochem during the summer? I feel like that way I'd have some gen. chem knowledge and it might even be doable, obviously with a lot of extensive studying, which I'm aware would be extremely stressful. A friend of mine who got into medical school finished all her pre-reqs in one year, and she basically started out the same like me. She didn't have to worry about Gen Chem, but she took 40 credits in a year. Naturally, she had no time to work or hang out with friends much. She had always been a good student but she isn't one of those science-whiz either. She worked her butt off for this and I really respect her, and at the same time gives me hope that maybe I can pull this off too. I'm aiming for the same 40 credits goal...both me and her come from a humanities background.
I'll also have to take microbio, biochem and genetics in the same year too. I'm not even sure schools allow this. Perhaps depends on school?

as for experience, I was thinking I would have half a year to focus solely on adding up the hours.


Completely insane, huh.

 

[Coquette22]

I'd be seriously surprised if any school let you take O Chem before finished Gen Chem I and II. And even if they did, I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

[Lissarae06]

I'm pretty sure my school (OkSU) requires you to have Gen Chem 1&2 before taking O. Chem. Check with your school to see if It's even a possibility. If it's not then your decision will be made for you.

 

[Trilt]

As with the others, my school required general chem 101 before you could proceed into organic.

 

[JtotheL]

With all your chemistry to go, it'll be impossible to finish in a year. Even if your school let you enroll in O chem while doing gen chem II (which I doubt. I've never seen an O chem class you can take without a year of general chemistry, though I'm sure it must exist sooomewhere), you'll still have to finish biochem after O chem since from what I've seen the only biochem classes that count are those that have O chem as a prerequisite.

 

[VeganSoprano]

You need gen chem I and II before enrolling on ochem. Ochem I relies heavily on material you would have learned in gen chem II. Then there's biochem, which *some* schools may let you take concurrently with ochem but generally ochem is a prereq. Plus all the bio requirements. If you're just getting started on prereqs, it's basically a 2-3 year process.

 

[that redhead]

Where I go to school, you take Gen Chem I, Orgo I, Orgo II, Gen Chem II and Biochem, in that order. Each is a pre-requisite of the next. Obviously, this depends on where you take your classes, but around here, that's how it is/must be.

If it is possible, I would still recommend against it. Although what your friend did was admirable, it's a huge credit load and there is no guarantee that you will perform in the same manner. I would space them out and work to get the best grade you can in each instead of cramming them into one semester.

 

[david594]

A lot of summer sessions don't start until next week. So if it all possible I would find a school and take gen chem 1 and 2 this summer. It will then let you take orgo 1 and 2 during the following school year and put you well on track to apply to vet school next summer(2011) for the class of 2016.

 

[racccjlm]

Where I go to school, you take Gen Chem I, Orgo I, Orgo II, Gen Chem II and Biochem, in that order. Each is a pre-requisite of the next. Obviously, this depends on where you take your classes, but around here, that's how it is/must be.

If it is possible, I would still recommend against it. Although what your friend did was admirable, it's a huge credit load and there is no guarantee that you will perform in the same manner. I would space them out and work to get the best grade you can in each instead of cramming them into one semester.

This is the same order that I took them in. It IS possible - if you are very good at chemistry. I knew someone who took Gen Chem I and Orgo I together, then Gen Chem II and Orgo II together. She did fine, but was a whiz in the subject. I would think really hard on taking that many credits.

 

[VeganSoprano]

Realistically, you will be aoplying for class of 2016 which gives you two years to complete prereqs. 40 credits in 2 years is very realistic and should allow you to work 20-30 hours a week as well. That's what I would go for. Taking gen chem and ochem concurrently because your mother (who I must presume has never taken these classes!) Wants you to would be like conceiving a baby and expecting to deliver 25 weeks from now. Sure, it's technically possible. But it's a really, really bad idea and has a high probability of going very badly.

 

[nyanko]

A lot of summer sessions don't start until next week. So if it all possible I would find a school and take gen chem 1 and 2 this summer. It will then let you take orgo 1 and 2 during the following school year and put you well on track to apply to vet school next summer(2011) for the class of 2016.

This is what I was thinking. I actually took ochem 1 and 2 during one summer (which I fondly like to refer to as the summer from hell) in order to finish the chem sequence in time to take them all at my first undergrad school before graduation.

 

[PrimalMU]

Most schools require a year of organic chemistry that has general chemistry as a prerequisite. Likewise, most schools require a biochemistry class with an organic prerequisite. It'll be impossible to finish in a year.

 

[MSUspartan]

i did something similar...
came into college with 30 credits from various AP exams, took gen chem 1 first semester, physics I + lab & nutrition second semester...those were really my only science-y pre-reqs i took that year (though i did have all my biology + labs done thanks to AP credits).

around march i decided i wanted to apply to vet school that summer (so basically, finish all my undergrad pre-reqs in 2 years. crazy, i know). i took orgo I over the summer, and got a 1.5...worst decision of my life. i was working full time (35-40 hours/week) and the class was condensed into 7 weeks. i just didn't put the effort in that i should have. but i was still determined to apply to vet school that year.
second half of the summer i took genetics and 4.0'd it, while still working full-time.
in the fall, i re-took orgo I, as well as taking orgo II, orgo lab, physics 2, and microbiology. it didn't go well. i was stressed out as ever and did not do as well as i could have in my classes. i ended up getting a 3.02 overall for the semester, which for me was awful since my cumulative was 3.89.
this spring, i took microbiology lab, physics 2 lab, biochem, and eukaryotic cell bio. it was also an awful semester, and my gpa again was extremely low. however, i did get accepted to vet school so although i didn't do very well in my classes, it didn't really matter. i passed all of them with at least a 2.0 and am starting vet school in the fall. i think part of the reason i didn't do quite as well this semester was because i lacked motivation. i 4.0'd my microbio lab and physics lab, and i could have done a lot better in biochem if i'd put the time in. i just didn't care as much because i already had my acceptance.

sorry for writing a novel, but the point of my story is this:
yes, what you're thinking of doing probably can be done. however you're taking a huge risk. you're going to be incredibly stressed out, your grades will take a hit, and if you don't get into vet school, you will regret having done this, because your gpa will be down the toilet.
that being said, i don't regret my plan of action, because it ended up working for me, saving me an extra year of tuition + living expenses, and allowing me to start my career one year sooner.
if you think you can do it, go for it, but beware that you might burn yourself out and you're basically setting yourself up for failure. look at it as a challenge though, and it hopefully will work out for you like it did for me.

 

[yann]

Thanks for the really helpful advices and the reality checks.

I sat down with my mother and basically explained to her that finishing everything in a year is impossible. She understood, but she still didn't like the idea of me taking two years to finish all the pre-reqs...sigh. So we settled on a middle ground where I'll take summer courses and finish everything in a year and a half. That's more possible, right? Nyanko, if you don't mind me asking, how hellish was your summer of double ochem? Did you have any time to work?

david594, I would so start taking classes from this summer if I could, except I'm not in the US right now...but thanks for the idea of taking orgo 1 & 2 in one summer sem! That would probably be hell (like Nyanko said 🙂 ) but I think that's much more doable than the reckless/suicidal attempt to take gen chem and orgo chem at the same time.

that redhead: where did you go to school? I really hope that isn't the case for me...if it were, it would take me more than 2 years and I REALLY want to apply for the class of 2016.

MSUspartan, congratz for getting into vet school!!!


Thank you guys so much🙂🙂

 

[BlacKAT33]

david594, I would so start taking classes from this summer if I could, except I'm not in the US right now...but thanks for the idea of taking orgo 1 & 2 in one summer sem! That would probably be hell (like Nyanko said 🙂 ) but I think that's much more doable than the reckless/suicidal attempt to take gen chem and orgo chem at the same time.

that redhead: where did you go to school? I really hope that isn't the case for me...if it were, it would take me more than 2 years and I REALLY want to apply for the class of 2016.

MSUspartan, congratz for getting into vet school!!!


Thank you guys so much🙂🙂

I think that redhead goes to school at University of Maryland. They recently changed their curriculum and what was taught in gen chem II, that's why they switched the order. When I was at UMD before the curriculum changed we took it in the usual order Gen Chem I, II, Orgo I, II-this is what i hear for most schools. And each one is a prereq for another so you need to take it in that order. I have heard of people taking them at the same time, but they had high GPAs/a lot of AP credits and they needed a letter from the dean or advisor or someone who can give that kind of permission

 

[nyanko]

The way my classes were organized that summer, I took organic chem I (with lab) for the first 6 week session and organic chem II (with lab) for the second 6 week session. We covered the exact same material and had essentially the same exams as the 16 week semester sections in 6 weeks. This meant we had class every morning for 2.5 hours and then lab 2 or 3 afternoons a week (alternating Fridays) for 3 hours. So my class schedule was basically 9-3 MWF and 9-12 TR. We had lecture exams every week or two (50 minute exams followed by an hour and a half of lecture) and lab reports due every lab section, plus a couple of lab exams. Working was probably do-able if you're really good at managing time (or can study at your job), but the course moved along very quickly and we had to do a lot of studying to keep up with the pace.

That summer I actually had to commute a half hour each way to campus (no summer housing offered at the residence hall where I lived the year before), and I took another class during the second 6 week session (a web server config/programming course). I was also a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding in August that year. Thinking back on it, I'm lucky to have escaped organic II with a C. 😛 (got a B+ in organic I)

 

[yann]

BlacKAT33: So hopefully this is only the case for UMD then? Good to know!

Nyanko: That sounds intense!! Best to just give up on enjoying next summer then, huh 😎 Thank you Nyanko!

 

[racccjlm]

Nyanko, that is INSANE. How did you even cope with all of that?!

 

[BlacKAT33]

Nyanko, that is INSANE. How did you even cope with all of that?!

That is an intense schedule. But just wanted to clarify, if anyone is planning on taking a lab sci course during the summer that is the normal schedule. At UMD it is exactly the same. Lecture every day for hours, discussion and lab every other day for 2-3 hours after lecture. Lab reports due every other day when you have lab and exams basically every week. I'm actually surprised how similar the courses are lol I guess all schools decided this was the best schedule for any lab sci course in the summer. It's hard work, but at the same time, i did find it easier to memorize things because your life basically revolves around the class for such a short period of time it's hard to forget. I also had to commute from home because just like Nyanko....my on campus housing did not exist in the summer time (ps-DC traffic suckssss)

 

[yann]

That's what I was thinking too...on one hand having to cram myself when everyone else is enjoying summer sucks, but on the other hand I'll probably be much more motivated to study and memorize things...when there's a test/lab report every other day!!! have always been the type to excel when in a tight situation, so i might even manage to pull off a better grade by bullying myself along the way then to take a year and getting lazy in-between...
always the optimist 😀

plus, it'll be a good practice for vet school, right? 😉

 

[yann]

Sorry guys, one more question.

I thought I read a few times somewhere that you don't have to fulfill ALL pre-reqs before applying, but you can still have 1 or 2 pre-reqs to go and still apply, while taking those required classes during the application process. I'm pretty sure I've read this a few times, but I can't find those threads (probably in some of the replies to the threads), and since there's a chance that I can apply next year (slim chance of acceptance, but want to try it out and see how bad it goes 😛), I want to make sure I'm not getting myself excited and realize it was all just a big misunderstanding on my part. Done that soo too often, haha.

 

[MSUspartan]

Sorry guys, one more question.

I thought I read a few times somewhere that you don't have to fulfill ALL pre-reqs before applying, but you can still have 1 or 2 pre-reqs to go and still apply, while taking those required classes during the application process. I'm pretty sure I've read this a few times, but I can't find those threads (probably in some of the replies to the threads), and since there's a chance that I can apply next year (slim chance of acceptance, but want to try it out and see how bad it goes 😛), I want to make sure I'm not getting myself excited and realize it was all just a big misunderstanding on my part. Done that soo too often, haha.

each school has a different policy regarding this. you'll have to look into each one individually.