<p>Ch1 is evil and should be shot.
Especially on Friday mornings. At 4AM. When I still haven't finished half my problem set despite it being due this afternoon -_-
At least it wasn't like last week's problem set, which asked us stuff that's going to be in next week's lectures. I still don't get the whole 3D geometry question. (Oh, and did I mention the TAs never explain former problem sets or tell you why you got a question wrong? Yeah, if they're going to take off ten points for something they could at least tell you what they took off for. Like they do in math.)
Oh, and Nate Lewis has a really annoying voice. He tries to be dramatic and talk really loudly, but that only works if you say some things loud and some things soft. If you just say everything really loudly, you just end up being annoying and monotonous and putting people to sleep...</p>
<p>I should probably mention that everyone at Caltech has to take this class, unless you're a genius and pass out, which is pretty impossible.</p>
<p>To turn this thread into something productive, let's make it into the "everyone complain about classes so prospective students can be fairly warned" thread. Or even if you don't have any good dirt, at least say which classes you like. (Personally, I'm deeply in love with CS1. Especially the amazing, ungodly lecturer, and the "rework everything until you understand all the concepts" policy.)</p>
<p>I think the ad hominem parts of your argument detract from it quite a bit. As for your other complaints, isn't that what TA's are for during recitation or office hours? Sure, Dougherty's (Take organic, prefrosh!) TA's don't extensively write down page long explanations in the margin or make allusions to their existence, but I could (1) realize the error my ways without asking, because the explaination is obvious, (2) just ask one of the TAs, (3) just ask Dougherty himself, or (4) just complain about it to the world. The first 3 are reasonable: The last one is not.</p>
<p>So prefrosh, don't be phased by the complaints of a few about a core class, there's probably a very strong argument to be made that they're not trying to make your life as difficult as it really is.</p>
<p>Additionally, it's not quite impossible to place out of Ch1ab into either Ch41ab or Ch21ab: I think 5 of us did this year and we picked up two frosh who are taking both Chem1ab and Chem41ab concurrently.</p>
<p>Ironically fizix, I like Ch1, even despite some of it harder questions and random grading. On the other hand, I think CS1 absolutely sucks, and it was a mistake for me (and many people) to take that class (which I think every Thursday morning at 2am when I submit my weekly labs and reworks). One of the CS1 omsbudpersons just dropped the course 3 days ago, so people are still dropping the course, even after the midterm and on pass/fail! So, individual results may vary?</p>
<p>Oh yeah, pass/fail frosh? We should be building Interhovse anyway...</p>
<p>
[quote]
As for your other complaints, isn't that what TA's are for during recitation or office hours?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, every time I go to office hours (and I go every week), there's a large mob of people outside the door waiting to ask questions. There's even a group that sits there and physically does their entire chem set inside the TA's office. So what ends up happening is you have to wait ten minutes to talk to a TA, and then you only get to ask one or two questions before people start getting annoyed.</p>
<p>I suppose you wouldn't know that, having passed out of Chem 1a. (I'm assuming fewer people than the entire freshman class take Chem 41, so the TAs and professor are actually accessible. Probably not a fair comparison.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think the ad hominem parts of your argument detract from it quite a bit.
<p>I can totally second fizix2's opinion about Chem1a, sonofsam. Because I don't have anything to add to her argument, however, I'll just say that I hate both Lewis'es - the one who came up with those dot structures and the one that is screaming at us for two hours a week.
On the other hand, I will be laughing at the poor forshes next fall...yeah, I'm that bad. :)</p>
<p>I like Ph1a very much, although, as I've counted this past Wed, there were only 48 people in the lecture hall :) Apparently, not everyone shares my tastes... But oh well... My unbiased (as an astroPhysics major) advice would be to take Ph1a even if you place out of it (it is not that difficult) because you'll have some pretty cool and hard problems to solve.</p>
<p>Prefrosh applying to Caltech are [should be] smart enough to take every opinion that is posted on CC with a grain of salt, especially when Physics majors are talking about Chemistry or Bio. :)</p>
<p>Dear fizix2, Why don't you ask someone major in chemistry from your house to help you understand previous problem set? You must know some upper class person who may know someone good in chemistry or some other Axline people that you could get help from. The good thing about the common core is that it is common for all Techers and help is available just by asking. You may also want to read Harry's book.</p>
<p>I am a potential ChemE EA applicant and am indeed a bit nervous :o after
reading this thread...logic tells me others have obviously survived this course ....</p>
<p>...fizix2...the fact that You :) are complaining makes me nervous, you
are a lingle :eek: holder (from other posts)....that makes you one of the top
applicants in your year ......are the requirements for GPA that go with a Lingle
higher than an Axline...? does that have something to do with hating ChemE?
I hope you are just frustrated and venting...and feel better soon :D</p>
<p>Potential ChemE pre-frosh is curious how Nate Lewis could get so many teaching awards
if he is screaming his lungs out? Is he maybe just being
super hyper-enthusiastic about conveying his love for the content? :confused:</p>
<p>Don't listen to fizit2. It seems like (I'm not in the class, so I can't answer definitively) Ch1a does involve work, but it's not unbearable. Alternatively, just request the chem placement exam and test into Organic, which rocks, or P. Chem, which I want to take. Mind you, I'm a CS major and I love the chem department here. I think the rest of the frosh in Organic right now also like/love the class, and I doubt that's because we're all Axline or Lingle recipients, I'm certainly not one.</p>
<p>(I too think the "screaming" part is actually just Nate Lewis trying to be really enthusiastic about chemistry)</p>
<p>I actually think Nate Lewis is a good teacher. I can see how people could be annoyed by his volume and tendency to repeat one concept, but chemistry is making a lot more sense than it did in high-school. While I could certainly see being scared by a Lingle person complaining about chemistry, there are also many non-Axlines that are doing just fine.</p>
<p>I think chem 1 is fine. Don't be discouraged, prefrosh. With 200+ people in a class, there are going to be some people who don't like it.</p>
<p>Just realize that when they talk about collaboration here, they mean it. There will be things on the sets that you didn't specifically learn in lecture. But if you work with other people you should be able to figure it out. If you expect the prof to spell everything out for you, well... It's not going to happen.</p>
<p>That's not the way it works at Caltech. Chem Olympians are just smart high school kids who were faster and more knowledgeable than average about high school chemistry. The quantum mechanics of molecular orbitals is in the first year course in very few places other than Caltech, and that makes it a challenge no matter how advanced you are coming in.</p>
<p>Generally, once you get past the very basics, introductory courses won't be "easy" even in hindsight. There are some questions in an introductory abstract algebra course that can be a challenge for a professional mathematician because they require a clever trick or an intricate argument. Same goes for other fields. It is generally silly to expect that just because a course comes early in the education it should be simple.</p>
<p>As for the complaints about Chem 1 which started this thread, talking to others can be a huge help. There is, with high probability, someone in the class who figured out the question completely. Just talk to your friends and housemates. Also, if you feel uncomfortable with the atmosphere at office hours, many of the TA's will be happy to meet with you outside of office hours so you can have, say, twenty minutes of their time to yourself to just ask questions really get it. (Also, office hours held at a time which is not right before the set is due tend to be very much less crowded.) Heck, even Nate Lewis will probably give you 20 uninterrupted minutes of his time now and then if you just write an email to ask.</p>
<p>I agree with you about his mode of presentation, by the way. He aims for enthusiasm and drama but would do better to modulate his voice a little. Still, give him a little credit. It is rare to see a professor, especially such a famous and smart one, who tries that hard to make you get it and to convey his passion for the subject.</p>