Hello,
So I just graduated from high school and I know the next step for me is college. I have already decided where I would like to attend; however, I am still undecided on my major. In high school, I was deeply intrigued and good at chemistry and physics. I understood the concepts and maths easily. After I finished physics my junior year, I was determined to major in chemistry, but after I saw the calc classes and other advanced maths I would have to take, I backed off. I have never been strong in my maths unless it applied to science. I really would like to study chemistry, but I am afraid my weak algebra and trig skills will make it impossible for me to major in chem. Any advice??
Thanks!!! 
(Also I barely passed my math classes all through HS. Math just has never come easily for me.)
I’m afraid that it’s going to be tough for you. Not only do you have to take a lot of math, but there is a lot of math in teh required chemistry and physics courses as well (especially P-chem). Have you taken any advanced or AP chemistry or physics in high school? Are you starting college this fall? If so, you should have a talk with your faculty advisor or someone in the chemistry department about whether you are prepared.
Chemistry really Doesn’t have any math. The only math you’ll do is in General Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Everything else is Theory.
Pchem is ALL math – the first few weeks this semester was solid calc 3, like speaking another language – and even gen chem can have a significant amount of calculation.
Hello! Thanks for the reply. And yes I took advanced Chem and Physics. I loved both and passed each class easily. I feel like I understand math when it is related to science. I am attending college in the fall. My advisor told me to consider not declaring a major my first year of college and instead take Algebra 2 and Trig. along with gen eds and general chemistry. She told me if I decided to declare a chem major, I would have a stronger math background to continue; however, if I decide not to declare chem as a major, I would have finished my gen eds and also have a stronger math background. What do you think about my advisor’s advice?
@NASA2014 What? That’s not true at all. At virtually every school I’ve seen, chemistry majors must take math through (at a minimum) multivariable calculus and differential equations, as well as the extremely quantitative physical chemistry, like @bodangles said. They will probably also have to take one or more other quantitative courses, like quantum chemistry or statistical mechanics or thermodynamics, not to mention at least two semesters of general physics.
Furthermore, that’s not what “theory” means. Theory is also mathematical/quantitative, especially in the physical sciences. Theory simply means learning the underlying principles, as opposed to practical/laboratory, which refers to carrying out procedures or experiments based on the theory.
If you’re serious about a chem major, you should be taking Calc I your first semester. Otherwise your math pre-reqs are going to be too far behind with the Pchem, quantitative analysis, and possibly calculus-based physics and linear algebra/diff eq requirements depending on your school.