<p>I am learning chemistry and hopefully I would be able to CLEP out of it. Planning to major in EE or ME not ChemE. Tuition covered in full. My question is:</p>
<ol>
<li>Is it worth cost? (80 dollars to skip 8 semester hours? Hmm 10 dollars per sem. hour)</li>
<li>Will I need chemistry? Or is chemistry something like a “touch and go”? For example, Calculus is important to an engineer… Freshman composition, not so much (i assume).<br></li>
</ol>
<p>Whether it was worth it will depend on your CLEP score. Fortunately, you will get that score instantly, on the spot, so no waiting to hear about how you did. The one thing I think is extra useful from actually taking the Chem class in college is the lab work. If nothing else, you learn to be very meticulous in your measurements and calculations, and in your analysis - both are useful skills for an engineer. Some facets of Chemistry are used in materials science, but I can’t speak for whether you are at any disadvantage for having skipped Chem via CLEP at UA.</p>
<p>DS will be a freshman EE major and he wishes he would have taken AP Chem in HS. He will probably take it at a local community college next summer. If you look at the EE flowchart, you will see that it is the only Chem class required. </p>
<p>Yes, it’s worth it. UA Engineering recommends those who can take AP or CLEP credit for it. </p>
<p>Are you self-teaching? What chem class(es) have you taken so far? Did you have a good teacher?</p>
<p>Does your major require Orgo?</p>
<p>I guess it would depend on your score. You might consider taking Gen Chem II</p>
<p>Self study, using socratic, khan-academy, alabama previous exams and syllabus for guidance, online practice sets </p>
<p>Had chemistry in high school. Did not the best teacher–only did two labs… penny lab and titration lab. We reached up to gas laws IIRC. </p>
<p>I dont think it requires Orgo. [Actually it looks like for ME I only need Gen Chem I](<a href=“http://me.eng.ua.edu/files/2014/05/BSME-Curriculum-Flowchart-Fall-2014.pdf”>About – Mechanical Engineering | The University of Alabama). My siblings took two semesters so I would have thought two semesters was a general requirement.</p>
<p>Whats special about gen chem II</p>
<p>Thanks class2012mom</p>
<p>"“Whats special about gen chem II”"</p>
<p>nothing, it is just that you haven’t had that level of instruction or labs. But if you dont need Gen Chem II for ME, then maybe your plan is ok. </p>
<p>It just seems a bit risky not having taken any college level Chem as an eng’r.</p>
<p>I’ll keep this in mind. I’ll bring this question up (CLEP for chem) during BB when I meet with an advisor.</p>
<p>I am not a Chemical Engineering major, but I can share something.</p>
<p>I registered for 10 AP exams the past May, $200 each, without taking any AP courses in high school (i.e. as a home-schooled candidate). </p>
<p>I did not perform well on all of them, but:
I got 4 for English Language and Composition, which I thought I gave shameful, sub-standard answers to.
I also got 4 for Computer Science A, which I thought I gave the perfect answer to every single question.</p>
<p>In the end, I got 40 credits out of the $2000 deal, all applicable towards my Computer Science degree. Now I have so much freedom to take on electives, or a second major, or whatever good options UA has to offer.</p>
<p>As such, I would encourage you to just take whatever CLEP or AP that you can register for, regardless of how well you think you can perform on it. The registration fee is paltry compared to the fees required to earn those credits at the university.</p>
<p>Excellent perspective, bluefish18!</p>
<p>$200??? I believe we paid $89/exam.</p>
<p>@WAPacker I am a foreigner. I took those exams outside the US, at a school I was not a member of. I was fortunate to be able to register at all.</p>
<p>@bluefish18 After I posted, I noticed that you were a foreign student. The exams are much more expensive as a foreigner but as you pointed out, still a good deal.</p>