What do you think of hybrid chemistry classes?

[spicykimchi]

I can either take a Chemistry class where we have a four hour lecture once a week and then a lab, or the hybrid, which is where we have no lectures (we study on our own) and we only meet in person for the lab. Which would be better for me? I'm leaning toward the hybrid because I've done well in on-line classes and also because I can't focus in lecture for longer than two hours. After that I don't get much out of it. But I dunno...I've never taken a hybrid class before, especially not in something complicated like chemistry.

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Also how hard do you think trig and stats will be if I got A's in Algebra?

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[pooter]

Four hour lecture sounds brutal. Does the hybrid class allow you enough access to professors/tutors/ect. for answering questions? Because sometimes you can get stuck on a problem, and some concepts are best explained by a real person. But, beyond that, you know your own learning style best.

 

[Psorophoraferox]

I took one of my gen chem classes online and did labs at home (we got a chemistry set, it was amazing). I did really well, and didn't have any trouble learning the material. Our professor was available through email, phone, or to meet in person on campus if we had any questions.

I loved it because I was trying to work full time and attend classes full time, so it made my schedule a little more flexible. It did require a lot of self-motivation and ability to learn on my own. If you've done well in distance/online classes before, that's a good sign.

As far as algebra, trig, and stats, they're all different beasts. 😀 I struggled with algebra with just the problem solving aspect, struggled with trig because it required a lot of memorization (of mathematical rules and conversions, but your class may be different), and aced stats with barely even trying. Stats just seemed more straightforward to me. There were also a lot of rules to memorize, but for some reason they just clicked with my brain better than any other math/math-esque class I've ever taken. Your mileage may vary. 😉

 

[twelvetigers]

I took one of my gen chem classes online and did labs at home (we got a chemistry set, it was amazing).

That sounds amazing!

 

[Wubbles]

I've taken a 4-hour chemistry lecture (1 day lecture, the other lab) and it wasn't too bad. I'm sure it depends on how its taught and if you can sit in class that long but I found that I actually did better than a normal 2 day/week chemistry class.
As for math, I breezed through algebra but got really hung up on trig. I remembered a little bit from high school but the college version was much more in-depth and challenging for me. I haven't taken stats yet.

 

[Bismarck]

That sounds amazing!

I would be surprised if a non-supervised lab didn't raise some hackles somewhere though, either with regards to student safety or learning.

As for your questions, I would pick the traditional lecture if only to get a feel for what the instructor emphasizes/reinforces versus the minutiae that fills chapter after chapter in the book.

As for Math, Trig was not hard for me, but as others have said, it requires you to apply a number of identities to solve problems: these are mostly memorizations. Statistics should be pretty easy at the introductory level. Regardless, a good handle on algebraic manipulations is key for success in math (especially true for calculus course(s))

 

[spicykimchi]

So the only tricky thing in Trig is memorizing stuff? Besides that it's not any harder than College Algebra? College Algebra, so far, is a breeze for me.

 

[Bismarck]

It's a course that deals with the nitty gritty of right triangles. Expect to see a lot of problems modeled with right angles shown and sides of a triangle and/or angles given. I first learned the basics as a junior in high school (5 years ago) but the fundamental aspects of trig have reappeared in my physics course(s) in college. If you can quickly figure out the implicitly given information (via your handy dandy memorized trig properties) you should be fine. Honestly, I think you are probably overthinking the difficulty of trig, given that calculus (the next level) is where most people seem to falter.

Most vet schools seem to require Statistics or Calculus FYI.

 

[Wubbles]

I'm not sure if I can pinpoint what exactly is difficult in trig for me, other than it's a total 180 (uh, pun not intended) from algebra and it was hard to adjust to the types of problems. Right angle trig is easy (soh-cah-toa!), laws of cosine/sine are fine, identities are okay, but putting it all together in the exams has messed me up - especially right now - we're doing vectors and some story problems that seem like they belong in a physics class.
My instructor is also trying a new "method" of teaching it...i.e. not lecturing and having us derive the formulas and solve everything in group work.
I don't know, at my CC this class is known as the 'hump' everybody has to get over...it's 5 credits of pain and Calc I is supposed to be much easier....so I guess it depends on how its taught and so on.

 

[Tegan05]

Both sound pretty brutal. I tend to hate online classes though.

How is the hybrid class set up? Are there recorded video lectures or just written material and reading? For me, Chemistry is one of those subjects that absolutely has to be taught and explained by a professor, reading about it won't do.

Trig and Stats were both easy for me. I got low-mid A's on all my exams in the class. I did the same thing on both finals though... slacked off, studied for other classes, and did poorly and ended up with B+ in both classes. My only Bs, grr! So don't do that, the finals are tricky when you are expected to put together all the concepts.

 

[Bisbee]

If the lecture professor is really great, then go ahead and take the regular class. However, sometimes professors are superfluous and you could learn the material just as well by reading the text.

 

[Psorophoraferox]

I would be surprised if a non-supervised lab didn't raise some hackles somewhere though, either with regards to student safety or learning.

Oh yeah, we had to sign waivers aplenty! No, I will not drink the chemicals. Yes, I will wash the test tubes thoroughly after use and I understand that does not mean I should put them in my dishwasher. No, I will not let my cats play with the glass stirring rod no matter how much they beg. Yes, I waive my right to hold the school liable for me burning my apartment building down. etc.

I don't think they could have pulled off an at-home ochem lab, though. "But officer, I'm only distilling this ethanol FOR SCIENCE!"

 

[libster06]

So the only tricky thing in Trig is memorizing stuff? Besides that it's not any harder than College Algebra? College Algebra, so far, is a breeze for me.

Ummm in terms of difficulty... I thought Trig >>>>>> Algebra..... I took Trig in the summer at a CC and College Algebra in the fall semester of my sophomore year at my four-year university. Trig was by far harder than College Algebra, namely because if the geometry that went with it. I didn't get geometry in 9th grade and I still don't get it. Our teacher in Trig extremely curved our grades (like 50 points on one tests).

 

[StartingoverVet]

So the only tricky thing in Trig is memorizing stuff? Besides that it's not any harder than College Algebra? College Algebra, so far, is a breeze for me.

I would think trig is a lot harder than algebra in general. In trig, a lot of time is spent with identities that you not only have to memorize but figure out which ones to use in problems. That can be very easy for some and quite challenging for others. It is not so obvious how to get to the answer. That is a skill you will certainly need for calculus as well.

 

[Minnerbelle]

In trig, a lot of time is spent with identities that you not only have to memorize but figure out which ones to use in problems.

That's why you derive a lot of it yourself 😀. Cuts out the memorization.

 

[Megascops Asio]

I would say that whether a hybrid class would be good for you or not would be up to the instructor. The only hybrid class I've ever taken (and will probably ever take) was general chemistry 2. During this particular semester, my school wasn't offering a traditional class, so I didn't have much choice in taking the hybrid.

😡 The teacher was TERRIBLE. 😡

He was extremely arrogant and tended to answer questions with questions. He also had the bad habit of testing on material that was not covered in his online "lectures." Pretty much, if you were unable to find resources outside of the class that could clarify your questions, you were out of luck. What was supposed to be a class that could "work around my busy schedule" ended up consuming ALL of my free time. I've taken other courses that were 100% online with good instructors and passed them with ease.

If I were you I'd definitely do some research on the instructor. If you can find a good teacher, and since you do well in online courses, I don't think you should have a problem with a hybrid class.