Premed thats..NEVER TAKEN CHEMISTRY!

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Yadster101

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Ok guys hey so im a high school senior who plans on attending UIllinois next year. I took regular chem sophmore year and didnt really learn anything because we had a brand new teacher. Now i have to take a placement exam in the summer for chem and im scared that i will fail.

Also im scared that im going to fail chem in college because i have very little prior experience with it since i never took AP chem. I dont really want to take it over the summer at a CC because it will most likely count towards my GPA which i dont want it to.

What should i do?? Any tutors i should seek in the summer????
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Stop worrying, as long as you can count and know the periodic table you should be fine. if you want to feel safe go ahead and get a tutor but i wouldn't advise it, better things to do with your time and money during the summer.
 
I came into college not knowing any chemistry(what is a mole??) and I still did good in class and passed the placement test. The placement test was ALL math, basically it was just seeing if you had the necessary math background to grasp chemistry(algebra 1, 2).
They teach you all the chemistry they are going to test you on. Don't worry. Enjoy summer and don't be intimidated your first quarter just work hard, you will be fine!
 
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nice this makes me feel a lot better...unless someone has something else to say :D:xf:
 
tbh, I would recommend that you take chemistry at a community college, to prep you for the gen chem at your state school.
















Jk. Lets be serious, general 1000 level classes are made for students that have never seen the material. Even if you make C's in gen chem, you can still get into an MD school. Just don't make C's in all your premed classes.
 
I never even took highschool chemistry entering college.

I ended up getting around the 95 percentile on the ACS Ochem final.

Basically, don't worry about it, just try hard, study, and you'll do fine.
 
MilkmanAl said:
Gen chem is designed for people who have never had chemistry. You'll be fine.
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It may be that way, but many kids take Gen Chem having taken AP chem in high school. You will be at a disadvantage compared to the kids who have already seen the material before. I am not trying to cause unneeded anxiety, I'm saying you'll probably have to study more than the kids who are taking the class as more of a review.
 
I never had Chemistry in high school and made A's in both General Chem and Organic Chem.
 
schrizto said:
It may be that way, but many kids take Gen Chem having taken AP chem in high school. You will be at a disadvantage compared to the kids who have already seen the material before. I am not trying to cause unneeded anxiety, I'm saying you'll probably have to study more than the kids who are taking the class as more of a review.
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I'd say that's more true for gen chem 2 than 1. The first semester is just a lot of basic math, for the most part. It shouldn't take a whole lot of studying to get through, regardless of whether you've seen it or not. The second go-round is more conceptual.
 
k well i feel better now, i might just buy an ap chem book and just read it a little over the summer. Also i though Orgo was hard as hell because one of the smartest kids in my high school who graduated last year is currently taking it at UofC and he makes it seem ridiculous
 
I got Cs in hs chem (cuz i was a slacker) and As in college chem (no longer a slacker). all it amounts to is putting in the time/effort. there's nothing special about chemistry. if you've learned it, you've learned it and you will do fine.
 
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This is for the OP. I was wondering how G Chemistry went for you. I realize it has been 3 years since you wrote this, but I feel I am in the same boat as you. Can you give any suggestions? :idea::scared::eek: Besides G Chem I also have to take O'Chem. UGH :thumbdown:
 
I never took Chem in high school. Just take the most basic class first and work your way up one level at a time like I did and you'll be fine. My first chemistry class was during my first year at UC San Diego.
 
I was talking to a college premed at an event and she said that she had never taken AP Chem prior to college, but she worked really hard and got an A. She also said that there were some kids who took AP in high school but dropped out of college chem because they thought it was too much work. You'll be fine as long as you study hard! Like others have said before me, the class is designed for someone who's never taken chem before. The kids that took AP might be at a slight advantage, but it's a pretty insignificant one.
 
80% of first year college classes assume you have no prior experience. Just pay attention in class and you should be fine. Same goes for biology and physics (my parents teach first year biology and they just completely start at the very beginning). Math is a little bit different as is english and foreign languages.
 
So basically the purpose of high school is.....? :laugh:
 
Arijos0222 said:
So basically the purpose of high school is.....? :laugh:
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"College Prep"

There is no purpose. Basically math and english are the only thing you really need from high school. Actually to be honest one of the things I have really gotten out of high school is my work ethic. If it weren't for high school I'd still be a lazy little 8th grader who doesn't want to do any homework. AP coursework can actually be somewhat helpful too... except for the fact that we will have to repeat all premed reqs regardless of AP credit. Essentially it is a time to build up credentials so you can get into a good college. The problem with the high school/college relationship is that different high schools teach different things and have different expectations. It's hard for colleges to have solid expectations as to what should be already known upon matriculation.
 
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nysegop said:
"College Prep"

There is no purpose. Basically math and english are the only thing you really need from high school. Actually to be honest one of the things I have really gotten out of high school is my work ethic. If it weren't for high school I'd still be a lazy little 8th grader who doesn't want to do any homework. AP coursework can actually be somewhat helpful too... except for the fact that we will have to repeat all premed reqs regardless of AP credit. Essentially it is a time to build up credentials so you can get into a good college. The problem with the high school/college relationship is that different high schools teach different things and have different expectations. It's hard for colleges to have solid expectations as to what should be already known upon matriculation.
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I love AP

I get to choose classes I like :thumbup:
 
Review a bit before taking the test. This will definitely help.
 
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