<p>As an incoming freshman who's never been particularly scientifically inclined, I'm having some difficulty deciding which science course would be right for me. On the one hand, I've heard that the Chemistry 101 course progresses in a more linear fashion than Biology. Yet on the other, I did not have a good experience with Chemistry in high school (partially the fault of poor instruction, and partially my own mental block with regards to molecular science.) Reedies, what have your experiences been with these two courses?</p>
<p>I only took Bio 101/102 (for the same reasons as you- I’m not scientifically inclined and I despised Chem in High School). Neither is a particularly easy course for those who don’t intend to major in them, but I’d recommend Bio because there’s only a lecture and lab component (while Chem also has a conference). Also, Bio lab write-ups are done in groups vs. Chem’s being entirely individual and there is next to zero outside homework for Bio while people in Chem have to do problem sets frequently.</p>
<p>Thank you kindly! It sounds like Bio would likely be the best choice for me as well.</p>
<p>It sounds like your mind is made up to take intro Bio and that’s great. I just wanted to add my $0.02 in support of intro Chem.</p>
<p>I had a similar question when I started and the consensus seemed to be that Chem was perhaps a better option if you are able to handle the math. The nice things about intro Chem are:
-it is taught by the same prof the entire semester, giving it more continuity and building upon previous concepts
-the conference allows you more time with the prof to ask questions and drive home concepts
-the grade is based on more than just tests and lab reports so you have a better shot of passing if you bomb the tests.
Chem labs were okay the first semester but second semester they’re harder and more individualized; also, they are shorter than Bio labs. Bio might be slightly easier conceptually but since it is team-taught both semesters, the curriculum covers A LOT (almost like a sampler of each prof’s specialty) which potentially makes it a little more difficult to get extra help from the profs, and it requires a lot of memorization. Both courses are going to be difficult if you are not scientifically inclined, you just kinda have to pick your poison and decide in which situation you are more likely to succeed.</p>
<p>I ended up taking Chem and the math kicked my butt more than I was expecting, though I still managed to survive (with a lot of help from the DoJo). If you can’t handle intermediate-advanced algebra, definitely take Bio.</p>