chem 31a/b or 31x

<p>So i took general chem and AP chem in high school. Problem is they were both taught by the same HORRIBLE teacher. I got A-'s in both classes but got a 1 on the AP exam.</p>

<p>I am going to Stanford this fall and am wondering if I should take Chem 31x. Just so you all know I will be taking General Chem II with lab this summer at Syracuse. I originally thought it was general chem 1 but turned out to be this and since I have nothing to lose, I decided to take it as a challenge/get ready class. </p>

<p>Any thoughts on what I should do?</p>

<p>I took Chem 31X while I was there, a lot of the students in the class took it despite the fact that they had already taken AP Chemistry in HS and done well on the AP test(4/5).</p>

<p>This was because organic chem was not offered fall quarter.</p>

<p>I would probably take Chem 31X if you wanted to get started on the pre-med Chem track earlier and you felt comfortable in a somewhat more competitive class.</p>

<p>Whenever you think about taking these types of super excelerated courses at Stanford keep in mind the following: Most of the students taking this class are ‘extremely’ well versed in Chem. They probably took AP chem and got a 5. They are only taking Chem 31x because med schools want to see you take this class in college. Also, remember that on top of this being excelerated, its also a quarter system. So what most colleges do in 15 weeks you will now cover in 10 weeks. Not to mention that Chem 31x is a combination of chem 1 and 2, something most school cover in the course of 30 weeks. I would think long and hard about this class, if you got a 1 on the AP class. That should be a red flag that youre not as prepped and ready for it as your classmates. You will be competing, academically, against kids who are whizzes in chemistry. Personally, it would not be my recommendation.</p>