what should i take my first semester of college?

[michaelbennett]

i have decided to pursue a career in pharmacy, and need some help picking my first semester classes. i have an idea, but dont really know how many hours i should be taking. oh, and by the way, i will be taking these at a local cc.

i was thinking of taking college algebra this summer. would that be beneficial? i didnt take math my senior year, and wanted to brush up on some math i had in pre cal before actually taking calculus later in the year.

this is my projected schedule i have developed through a little research on the internet, and i have a pretty idea of all the pre reqs.

summer:
college algebra

general chem
calculus
biology
public speaking or pyschology

let me know your thoughts...

thnaks in advance!

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[alenadoma]

i have decided to pursue a career in pharmacy, and need some help picking my first semester classes. i have an idea, but dont really know how many hours i should be taking. oh, and by the way, i will be taking these at a local cc.

i was thinking of taking college algebra this summer. would that be beneficial? i didnt take math my senior year, and wanted to brush up on some math i had in pre cal before actually taking calculus later in the year.

this is my projected schedule i have developed through a little research on the internet, and i have a pretty idea of all the pre reqs.

summer:
college algebra

general chem
calculus
biology
public speaking or pyschology

let me know your thoughts...

thnaks in advance!

I think if you want to brush up on your basic math skills, college algebra the summer before you start is a good idea. From personal experience, it didn't really prepare me for calculus.
Remember that along with gen chem and bio you will have to take labs. I think that sounds like a good schedule, but it will be a lot of work. Stay on top of your game from the first day of classes and make sure to start college off strong with a good GPA. It will make getting into pharmacy school much less stressful.
Good luck with starting college, let us know if you have any more questions 🙂

 

[aboveliquidice]

I think if you want to brush up on your basic math skills, college algebra the summer before you start is a good idea. From personal experience, it didn't really prepare me for calculus.
Remember that along with gen chem and bio you will have to take labs. I think that sounds like a good schedule, but it will be a lot of work. Stay on top of your game from the first day of classes and make sure to start college off strong with a good GPA. It will make getting into pharmacy school much less stressful.
Good luck with starting college, let us know if you have any more questions 🙂

I never recommend taking more than 2 difficult courses during any one semester. That being said - If you feel you can handle - all the more power to ya. Just make sure you get As in each class.

I staggered my prereqs, taking math and physics together than the bios and chems...

 

[FlavyFlav]

I don't know your school but when I took calculus, I was required to take pre-calc first. Even pre-calc has prerequisites and if you aren't very brushed up on math, I'd recommend taking that first. Of course, I don't think they will let you into calculus without placement, but who knows.

I mixed science classes when I started and the end result was extra studying and lower grades for me in the beginning. As was stated, Choose one core science class to start with, especially if it is your first semester (you have plenty of time). Take this time to get in the non-science requirements and start slow. If you felt the one science was easy, go for two next semester. No rush 🙂

 

[eightonesix]

Depending on how good you are at these subjects, I would actually vote against taking all four altogether. Taking chemistry, biology, and calculus can be demanding (I dont think psych will be as much) especially because you are entering college and there are transitions (unsaid sometimes) that come with it. I know you mentioned taking them at a CC but not every CC is a "piece of cake" as others, some profs really try to teach at a univ. level.

I don't think there's much of a rush to do all your requirements unless you feel there is a need to be. I'd take chem + calc first or something.. but hey, its up to you and if you can do all four, more power to you.

 

[Monalyce]

I never recommend taking more than 2 difficult courses during any one semester. That being said - If you feel you can handle - all the more power to ya. Just make sure you get As in each class.

Hahaha...if I had taken less than 2 difficult classes in one semester I would never have earned a degree! Lucky are those who can find a way to avoid never taking chem, bio, anatomy, etc. together!

My biggest advice would be to make a preliminary list of the pharmacy schools you are eventually planning on applying to. Then look at the specific prereqs they require...they may vary slightly. Even if you end up changing your mind, getting the common prereqs done earlier will leave you space to take odd classes at the end. For instance, as a senior, I only have Public Speaking left as a prepharm requirement because only one school (the one I want to attend!) requires it. Be especially careful for classes that require a sequence (example would be anatomy, which may require taking physio or other lower level bio first) to be sure you won't get caught be ineligible to take a prereq later.

 

[roziak]

Taking calculus with gen chem and biology is going to be tough. Calculus was BY FAR the toughest course I have taken in undergrad so far... I am not sure how difficult the calc class will exactly be at your cc but where I was it was pretty rough.

I would take Calculus, Biology, Psychology, and Public Speaking in my honest opinion. You need to get good grades your first semester to get a good kick start to your college career. But if you think you can handle it, then more power to you man. Beware of the calculus though, lol

 

[rphfan2009]

Take pre-calculus first

 

[Passion4Sci]

Definitely take pre-Calculus first, LOL!

I'd like to add that if you're attending a CC, and intend to go directly from a CC to a Pharm. school, you might want to be aware that the majority of Pharm. schools will expect to see heavy course loads.

Taking one or two classes a semester, anyone can Ace any class. If you're not taking 16 units a semester (After your first, so you can adapt) then you might want to kick it up a bit.

Graduate school of any kind requires sacrifice, this is no exception.

Good luck!

 

[aboveliquidice]

Definitely take pre-Calculus first, LOL!

I'd like to add that if you're attending a CC, and intend to go directly from a CC to a Pharm. school, you might want to be aware that the majority of Pharm. schools will expect to see heavy course loads.

Taking one or two classes a semester, anyone can Ace any class. If you're not taking 16 units a semester (After your first, so you can adapt) then you might want to kick it up a bit.

Graduate school of any kind requires sacrifice, this is no exception.

Good luck!

I suppose somethings get lost in translation... Avoid taking more than two difficult courses... Take a full class load. Speech, economics, stats, psychology - these are all less intensive courses - If you are taking two science classes + labs, you really shouldn't be adding another course + lab into the mix. Take an easier course.

I made decisions on many apps this year - there is no reward for taking a 20 hour semester and getting Cs... Ill take the student with 14hrs / semester with straight As.

 

[Soon2BPharmD]

Looks like a well-balanced schedule. If you're thinking about changing it up differently, perhaps you can dedicate your summer toward knocking down two required courses, especially if you're working zero to part-time. My understanding is that most CCs have two summer sessions to take advantage of, and they offer the best opportunities to take challenging subjects by themselves. Completing Calculus and a lab science during the summer is totally feasible. For the science, I would recommend Bio since you can skip a semester between the two Bio sessions without much trouble. For Chem, it's a good idea to take I and II continuously in a regular academic year.
The reason I'm suggesting this is because, if you dedicate a whole valuable summer for algebra or pre-calc, then you really won't be taking any steps forward, and you're setting yourself up for a tougher first sem. My advice would be to brush up on the pre-calc independently starting now, since you've taken it before. What you mainly have to get used to include graphing quadratic and higher order polynomials, and trig identities. Then when you get into Calculus, the real fun begins and you'll find it quite different from everything else you've taken. But once you get the concepts of limits, derivatives, and integrals down, you're set. Then you don't need any more Calc with most pharmacy schools, unless you want to go beyond minimum requirements, which would look nice too.
When 1st sem of college comes around, you will have more freedom to play with your schedule and throw more general ed courses in the mix, like social sciences, humanities, and English comp. You can also take Physics (w/ Calc) in conjunction with Chem, since you'll be prepared by then.
Then at the end of the fall sem, you should be looking for schools that offer winter intercession courses. They're pretty intense, but if you could take care of the second half of Bio, Chem, or Physics, life will be a lot more easier from that point on.