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What sciences should I take my freshman year?
What Sciences Should I Take My First Semester Of Pre-med?
- Thread starter heathadawn23
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i hope you are a hot chick.
anyways my advice: ask ppl at your school. ask people you think you are a smarter than.
okay ill prob get a lot of crap about this, but by the looks of most people and the way they act and portray themselves, you can have a sense of their intelligence. ask older ppl which profs are easier and which ones to take.
seriously people here say challenge yourself, but taking science classes is enough of a challenge for me.
if you want a straight forward answer id go with calc and chem for first semester. and then calc chem and bio for seconds semester if you can handle calc and chem well.
also depends on your major. my major makes me finish 10 science courses w/ labs before my junior year. so i def take more than most ppl.
anyways my advice: ask ppl at your school. ask people you think you are a smarter than.
okay ill prob get a lot of crap about this, but by the looks of most people and the way they act and portray themselves, you can have a sense of their intelligence. ask older ppl which profs are easier and which ones to take.
seriously people here say challenge yourself, but taking science classes is enough of a challenge for me.
if you want a straight forward answer id go with calc and chem for first semester. and then calc chem and bio for seconds semester if you can handle calc and chem well.
also depends on your major. my major makes me finish 10 science courses w/ labs before my junior year. so i def take more than most ppl.
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Gen chem w/Bio or Physics.
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take general chemistry I and II as well as introductory biology classes. Basically whatever you need to take the upper level courses later on.
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I second the gen chem. If you need more math, I'd take calc too. If you've never had physics, save that for 2nd year, and take bio instead.
If you're planning on taking upper level courses in any of the sciences, take the general version of that this year. For instance, if you're a chem major, take gen chem now so you can take orgo next year and pchem, anal, etc. the following. If you're a bio major, take gen bio now, so you can take genetics, physiology, micro, whatever in the later years. If you're not a science major, ummm, I can't help you.
If you're planning on taking upper level courses in any of the sciences, take the general version of that this year. For instance, if you're a chem major, take gen chem now so you can take orgo next year and pchem, anal, etc. the following. If you're a bio major, take gen bio now, so you can take genetics, physiology, micro, whatever in the later years. If you're not a science major, ummm, I can't help you.
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general chem, intro bio, calc and classes to fulfill other general requirements at your school
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I would not take physics until you get closer to taking the MCAT. I took my second physics class the semester before I took the MCAT and it made life a lot easier because it was all fresh on my brain. Intro chem and bio classes would be the best, along with some gen eds or a fun elective.
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The general chem advice is very good. You'll want to take general chem now so you can take orgo sophomore year and biochem first semester of junior year.
The rest depends on your major. Physics and calculus can be difficult for lots of people, so you might want to see how g-chem is this year. If you find that you have trouble with it, you'll know that you're going to have to work hard to do well in physics and calculus, so you can plan accordingly. Another thing to keep in mind, however, is that though it can be difficult, you might want to take calculus now so that physics will be easier sophomore year.
I guess what all this boils down to is that you should take g-chem and calc now.
As far as bio goes, if it's your major, take it now, obviously. Also, know that anyone can get an A in a bio class with enough memorization, physics, chemistry and math require more intelligence. (I'm not talking about the sciences, folks, I'm talking about the classes. Biology as a science requires innovation, but that's not asked of undergrads.)
Oh!This might be a little off topic... but get involved in activities (lab work, hospital volunteering, community service) right off the bat. It'll allow you to take a little bit more of a reasonable pace with them and also do more and more interesting things as you get close to app time.
The rest depends on your major. Physics and calculus can be difficult for lots of people, so you might want to see how g-chem is this year. If you find that you have trouble with it, you'll know that you're going to have to work hard to do well in physics and calculus, so you can plan accordingly. Another thing to keep in mind, however, is that though it can be difficult, you might want to take calculus now so that physics will be easier sophomore year.
I guess what all this boils down to is that you should take g-chem and calc now.
As far as bio goes, if it's your major, take it now, obviously. Also, know that anyone can get an A in a bio class with enough memorization, physics, chemistry and math require more intelligence. (I'm not talking about the sciences, folks, I'm talking about the classes. Biology as a science requires innovation, but that's not asked of undergrads.)
Oh!This might be a little off topic... but get involved in activities (lab work, hospital volunteering, community service) right off the bat. It'll allow you to take a little bit more of a reasonable pace with them and also do more and more interesting things as you get close to app time.
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take general bio, general chem, calc, 1-2 electives (or gen. ed reqs)
1st semester focus on studying and doing well. Don't do any extracurriculars your 1st semester. WHen winter break comes, then decide on what you want to do extracurricularly.
You must work triple the amount you thikn you should your first year, in order to do well your soph, jun, senior years. Have that mentality and you will do well.
1st semester focus on studying and doing well. Don't do any extracurriculars your 1st semester. WHen winter break comes, then decide on what you want to do extracurricularly.
You must work triple the amount you thikn you should your first year, in order to do well your soph, jun, senior years. Have that mentality and you will do well.
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You need Gen Chem early so you can take Orgo. Most people take upper level bio classes too so taking Gen Bio early so they can take the UL Bio classes before the MCAT.Xian said:
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Xian said:
B/C you have more requirments in chem, so you need to start early. You need, at minimum, orgo and gen chem. Orgo requires general chem first, so you can't take it till second year. Biochem is also highly recommended, but you need orgo to take biochem. Basically, the MCAT dictates "ideal" schedule. For a science major:
1st: Gen Chem, calc
2nd: Orgo, Bio, Physics (can hold off on physics or change based on your major)
3rd: Biochem, other upper-level sciences
If you do want to take bio first, I'd say make sure you'll be taking upper-level bio classes around MCAT time too, otherwise it will be too distant. Gen chem seems easier to re-study than bio, especially if you haven't dealt with either in a while.
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Thanks guys.... your input was very helpful. I am a biology major so Im still not sure whether to take Bio or Chem first, my cousin actually took 3 sciences each semester so Im not sure whether to give that a try or not. What do you think?
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Gen Chem and Bio, the combination isn't as bad as chem and physics. If you are up to the challenge take calc too. It's not hard but its just another class that may suck up your time studying for other classes.
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i really dont think taking gen chem, bio, and bio major's calc would be hard. i did it and i think all of those classes are somewhat easy.
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sure, we all have, and more. But don't do it your first semester.kristy117 said:
My first semester (as a bio major), I took calc, gen chem 1, Spanish, and a humanities seminar. Spring semester, I took biology 1, physics 1, gen chemistry 2, and a humanities seminar. Sophomore fall, I took bio 2, organic 1, physics 2, and some miscellaneous.
