<p>I have to take Chem 1A as a major requirement. However, the only chemistry background I have is Honors Chem in 10th grade. I have a Zumdahl chemistry book that I bought used and I am going through it. However, so far my efforts haven't really paid off because I just can't retain the information very well when I teach it to myself. Should I be fine in Chem 1A? Also, I don't really want to do Chem P unless I'm really struggling in Chem 1A after the first couple of weeks.</p>
<p><a href=“http://chemguy.com%5B/url%5D”>http://chemguy.com</a> is the ticket</p>
<p>You can also watch the lectures online for free:
webcast.berkeley.edu
several semesters of the course are online</p>
<p>I never took chemistry before I got here, and I did just fine. </p>
<p>In fact, I’m now a chemistry tutor. :]</p>
<p>AureatEagle, you didn’t do any summer review? Thanks rider730 and Grumpster for the links. I’m short on money right now so i’ll settle with the free lectures.</p>
<p>Couldn’t review what I never learned in the first place :]</p>
<p>good point. thanks for sharing your situation. it makes me feel better about mine. i guess ill do some light review but i wont go an hour or two a day like i had planned.</p>
<p>Any previous chem experience will give you a slight advantage over those with none.</p>
<p>@Rider730, don’t you need to pay to use the resources on the website?</p>
<p>Like 99% of the people in Chem 1A have past chem experience so everybody is kinda on the same playing field. Only difference is those with AP had a slight advantage over those with regular chem, but not by much. In all the class is a waste of 4 units as it was a rehash of HS chem and anything that was new was useless and you never need to know in any other class. I wouldn’t buy the book!!! No joke 100% of people I talk to say that buying the book for Stacy was a waste of so much money. All the info you need is on the slides and not in the book. Any supplemental can be looked up on wikipedia or google.</p>
<p>milkTea11 - yes, there is a donation thru Paypal but it is ten bucks or something like that to access all the content online.</p>
<p>calbear2012, in my honors chem class in 10th grade i learned nothing, so basically i have no previous chem experience. this worries me because as you said, those who took AP have a slight advantage over those who did not. is the curve bad and is it manageable to pull out a B-? i am signed up in Arnold’s class by the way.</p>
<p>Don’t freak, Chem 1A has the least harsh curve of the bio lower divs. I think 95% of the class get some form of A or B so unless you are really lazy or can’t learn than you should have no problem getting at least a B-, heck you will probably do better.</p>
<p>Calbear, so even if I don’t remember ANYTHING from high school chem, I can still get an A in Chem 1A? That’s weird because in all community colleges they make you take a placement exam before taking Chem 1A…so I’m confused. I mean, do the professors at Cal assume you have no prior Chem background when taking the class?</p>
<p>Yeah it will need work, but it’s not impossible. High school chem is recommended and even though most took high school chem the professors will not assume and start lecture 1 with what an atom is so you don’t need to be an expert to get an A. AP chem is just helpful because it is more of a review as opposed to relearning every detail. On the first day of Chem 1A in my semester they tested the iclickers and one of the test questions was “What is your chem background?” and if it was like my year than a good 98% will have at least one semester of chem under their belt so the professors know this but still start at the basics.</p>
<p>^^That sounds comforting. I took chem1A in the 6-week summer session at my community college where there was NO review from high school chem and I dropped immediately. I just hope I don’t have the same experience.</p>