Retaking a Class with an A

[VBCTea]

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I am currently a community college student planning to transfer to a four year university next year.

Grades for Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisites completed at Community College

Spring 2010
Calculus I [A]

Summer 2010
General Chemistry I [A]
General Chemistry II [A]

I am currently not taking any other science/math prerequisites this year because I plan to complete them at a four year university.

However, since it will be a whole year since I completed these course by next year, these are my questions:

1. Should I try and retake or audit these courses at my university? I would essentially be starting from the beginning in their Biology Major.

2. Should I review these courses myself over the summer before I transfer? I was planning on reviewing old textbooks and other study materials for these subjects.

I'm leaning towards reviewing the material myself, but I wasn't sure if there would be a benefit in retaking them.

My biggest concern would be how I would transition into Organic Chemistry with a whole year off from General Chemistry.

 

[PharmyDude]

1.no
2.no
3. Learn orgo when you take the class, you start off orgo learning about electrons and lewis structures. How much more review do you need?

 

[VBCTea]

Well, honestly, I don't know what to expect from Organic Chemistry, so I was worried I might forget some of the basics of chemistry learned through General Chemistry.

How would Pharmacy schools view this situation? Or would it be safer to not risk the grades, and just perform the same for future courses?

 

[chemguy79]

Well, honestly, I don't know what to expect from Organic Chemistry, so I was worried I might forget some of the basics of chemistry learned through General Chemistry.

How would Pharmacy schools view this situation? Or would it be safer to not risk the grades, and just perform the same for future courses?

This is merely conjecture, but I would probably wonder why you would retake the course if you made an A in it the first time (regardless of where you took the course).

Furthermore, you use MAYBE 10-20% of the material that you learned in General Chem for your Organic Chemistry course. (Most of the material is from Gen Chem 1 vs. General Chemistry 2.) It would be completely pointless and you would most likely to be asked why you retook the course at a 4 yr instead of continuing on with the next sequence of Chemistry at the 4 yr university.

 

[crazybob]

This is merely conjecture, but I would probably wonder why you would retake the course if you made an A in it the first time (regardless of where you took the course).

Furthermore, you use MAYBE 10-20% of the material that you learned in General Chem for your Organic Chemistry course. (Most of the material is from Gen Chem 1 vs. General Chemistry 2.) It would be completely pointless and you would most likely to be asked why you retook the course at a 4 yr instead of continuing on with the next sequence of Chemistry at the 4 yr university.

I agree with that, but it also depends on the instructor and how the course is structured.

 

[VBCTea]

Thanks chemguy and crazybob. Yeah, I was hearing mixed reactions on the material covered in Organic Chemistry. I remember a lot of the people who took Gen Chem 2 were struggling because it picked up immediately where Gen Chem I ended at my community college, and they did not have it for a semester. But yeah, I agree, I think it will be a better idea to just review it over the summer myself to refresh my memory on the basic concepts. Thanks again

 

[delano2000]

This is merely conjecture, but I would probably wonder why you would retake the course if you made an A in it the first time (regardless of where you took the course).

Furthermore, you use MAYBE 10-20% of the material that you learned in General Chem for your Organic Chemistry course. (Most of the material is from Gen Chem 1 vs. General Chemistry 2.) It would be completely pointless and you would most likely to be asked why you retook the course at a 4 yr instead of continuing on with the next sequence of Chemistry at the 4 yr university.

I agree. Plus I think OChem is like a different language. Majority of the stuff from Chem I and II will not apply to Orgo. Orgo is primarily about carbon containing compounds and you will learn extensively about nomenclature, reactions, synthesis, stereochemistry etc.

 

[woosiecg]

I took organic with over a year off between it an Gen Chem. and had no problems with organic. The review of lewis structures and electrons at the start of first term was adequate. Organic does not really use a lot of the information from gen chem!