I only took Honors chem and Adv Bio in high school. I heard Chem 1A/1AL is manageable for those who took AP Chem, but since I haven’t and I heard it’s a harsh weeder class I was thinking of taking Chem P before taking Chem 1A and instead taking Bio 1B for fall. Would Bio 1B require less prior knowledge? I’m currently enrolled in Dean Toste’s class for Chem.
Okay, so I dropped Chem 1A/AL and am now enrolled in Bio 1B. The professors had good ratings on RateMyProfessor and the class in general seems pretty straightforward. I’m hoping this will give me time to prepare for Chem 1A and do well later although it’s a more unconventional route for a freshman…do you guys think I made the right choice?
@TheSkyIsFalling3 Welcome to Cal. You would be fine with Chem 1A and Bio1B in the same semester, but then you would be studying a crapload in your first semester at Cal. Your choice is fine, and will give you time to enjoy the start of college, become familiar with the pace of the lower div prereq “weeder” classes. If you are worried about Chem, then use the SLC for additional help and study groups.
D took Chem1A/1AL her first semester - first B she’s ever gotten, and she took AP Chem. Got an A in org chem, so it gets better (she said she learned how to study for Cal chem classes from 1A). Taking Bio1B this fall and has not taken bio since sophomore year of HS - this should be interesting. BTW, I think it was smart to not double up on lab-heavy classes right out of the gate. And, I would suggest signing up with a regular study group in the SLC as @UC911doc suggests - they are a godsend.