3.091 vs. 5.11x?

[Inkling]

<p>I've heard great things about 3.091, but I've also heard that it's not great if you plan on any major that requires orgo. My question is what if I don't yet know if I'm going to do any major that requires orgo? I've been looking at aerospace, math, and physics for a while, but I can also see myself going into biology or biological engineering. Would taking 3.091 make it substantially harder to do well as a course 7 or 20 major in orgo? On the other hand, would 5.11x make my first semester substantially more difficult?</p>

<p>If it helps, the other classes I want to take first semester are 8.012, 7.014, and whichever HASS-D class I get lotteried into. No math because I got transfer credit for 18.02.</p>

<p>any other options I should consider?</p>

[PiperXP]

<p>Every person I know in 7/20 who took 3.091 wishes they took 5.11x instead. It’s definitely not impossible, but 5.11x just gives you a better background for orgo. Though 5.111 is a pretty standard class as far as difficulty goes - 5.112, on the other hand, is quite difficult :)</p>

[cdf935]

<p>Also, 7.014 isn’t offered in the fall, only 7.012. So if you want to take 7.014 you have to wait until spring.</p>

[Inkling]

<p>cdf935 - that’s what I meant, sorry. :)</p>

<p>so essentially if I take 3.091 and end up in course 7 or 20, I’m probably going to regret it? is this because the two courses don’t cover the same material?</p>

[kryptonsa36]

<p>I don’t recall taking orgo and thinking, “Boy, good thing I took 5.112. Otherwise I would’ve been so unprepared for this class.” I don’t know anything about 3.091, but how does 5.11x specifically provide better background for orgo than 3.091? By being more difficult?</p>

<p>And just to throw a random anecdote out, I have a Course 20 friend who is doing just fine after taking 3.091 first.</p>

[molliebatmit]

<p>Not that the chemistry department is an unbiased source, but [they</a> claim](<a href=“MIT Department of Chemistry – Department of Chemistry at MIT”>MIT Department of Chemistry – Department of Chemistry at MIT) that students who take 3.091 do worse on average in 5.12 than students who took 5.11x.</p>

<p>

@Chemistry Dept

Past experience has shown that a firm command of certain principles of general chemistry is critical for success in 5.12. Students whose prior general chemistry courses did not cover these essential topics are at a severe disadvantage. For example, in past semesters we have noted a direct correlation between a student’s general chemistry background (5.11x, 3.091) and their performance in 5.12, with students from 5.11x outperforming those from 3.091. To ensure that all students have an opportunity to adequately prepare for 5.12, the Chemistry Department has developed a program of optional reading assignments and background help sessions that are offered at the beginning of each semester to assist students in reviewing material that is critical for success in 5.12.

</p>

[kryptonsa36]

<p>I have a feeling that is because students who consider themselves good enough in chemistry (or enjoy chemistry enough) to take 5.11x are better prepared anyway for orgo than the students who enroll in 3.091 because they either are weaker in chemistry or don’t enjoy the subject.</p>

<p>The statistics that would be interesting to know but are impossible to get are the 5.12 performances of students who took 3.091 for reasons other than disliking chemistry or finding it difficult (such as my abovementioned friend, who took 3.091 only because she thought she was going to be Course 18 at first and therefore didn’t need more advanced chemistry). I suspect such students would fare better in orgo and more comparably to 5.11x students. And maybe taking 3.091 instead of 5.11x solely because you’ve heard such awesome things about the former won’t put you at a disadvantage later in orgo, either.</p>