<p>has anyone taken chem 109 or chem 103? i'm trying to decide which one i should take, and my adviser recommended 109 given my math placement scores and the fact that i took AP chemistry in high school. i have a feeling it may be too challenging, though, so i was wondering if anyone had any insight.</p>
<p>From what I heard at SOAR and from friends, 109 moves pretty quickly and is basically the combination of the classes "before" it in the time table... take a look at the catalog and the descriptions for 103, 104, and 108 too</p>
<p>I haven't had SOAR yet and I won't untill the end of July, but i'll be in the same predicament as you. </p>
<p>Quite frankly, chemistry is not my thing. It's interesting in many ways, but if I were to choose, I'd choose something else to more thourghly learn.</p>
<p>However, I was talking with my AP chemistry teacher and he said that unlike many other colleges, UW-Madison's chemistry classes have a focus on physical chemistry and since I am planning to go into electrical and computer engineering, that would be something important to my field. Physical chemistry is also very different from what I did in AP chemistry.</p>
<p>When I get to SOAR and if I get a 3+ on my AP chem exam (I"m a little worried, because I really slacked in that class...but, the class was much more rigorous than the content on the exam...) I'm going to have a nice talk with whoever is there about whether it would be worth it for me to go into any higher chemistry courses for my field or not.</p>
<p>Any comments would be appreciated/interesting. :)</p>
<p>i'm also going to be in the similar situation and i'm going to be majoring in chemical engineering. I took AP Chemistry, but I REALLY slacked off and didn't bother taking the AP Exam. I got a 4 on the mock. I would personally opt to start from the beginning so I would personally go for Chem 103.</p>
<p>Any Comments? </p>
<p>P.S. I have a decent background in math. I took AP Calculus BC.</p>
<p>Go for the best chemistry class you can take, likewise for every class- you will learn more. Take 115-116 for the tough class, 109 is intermediate in comparison. You should go for it, you may be bored with 103 and you could switch down to 103 from 109 if it was too difficult for you (despite UW's huge size the individual counts, always remember that and make the system work for you). Never be afraid of any UW course, they accepted you, you can handle challenges. (I took 115-116 eons ago, I had learned good problem solving in HS; repeating the basics would have been boring).</p>
<p>Alright, so I just finished my freshman year and here is my opinion:</p>
<p>I took chem 109 and loved it; I am, however, sort of a geek and really like chemistry. The first test average was about a 70 and a lot of kids failed for the first time in their academic careers and then switched down to 103. The tests will be rough, but there are so many other points in the class- homework and labs- that test grades don't matter as much as you'd think. I came out with a solid A, but also put in the work to earn it. It certainly won't be an easy A. I have a lot of friends who took 103 and whizzed by because it was much easier- one class used every friday lecture as an optional review day, which is kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Second semester, I took chem 329 (anal chem) which was my least favorite class I have ever taken; it was horrendously boring and tedious. I would advise taking 328 instead. If you take 103/104 you will have an easier time for sure and from what I can tell, you will be much better prepared for ochem. </p>
<p>In hindsight, I'm glad I took 109. I learned so much in the class and it was fast paced so I was never bored. If you plan on applying to med schools, you might want to take 103 because some of them won't count 109 as two semesters of gen chem, so you will have to take an additional class before ochem (which really isn't that bad). But if you're uneasy about chemistry, I'd say take the easier route and have a more relaxed first semester.</p>
<p>But, as a chemistry major and physician, I will add that if you can't handle challenges you need to rethink being premed. Btw, back in my day there was 109-110 and 115-116 you could take to get general chemistry plus analytical, Honors optional for 109-110; they must have dropped the 110 course as a duplication of sequences. Looks better on the record to take more advanced courses (we had no AP Chemistry in my day, also). You can check with the premed recommendations if applicable, but always go for the hardest course you can handle- you'll learn more. I also remember low exam scores for everyone, better to have challenging exams than too easy ones- makes you humble to realize how much there is to know. Fortunately professors aren't required to give exams so a standard grading curve can be used. Another factor to consider is that you are more likely to get the best TA's and classmates in the tougher courses, that can make life more interesting. People looking for the A may go with 103, you can get the A in 109 and be much better off.</p>