<p>I'm taking biology, chemistry, and calculus at a CC. I know that it's not looked upon because it's taken at a CC. But I was wondering what is the big difference between taking classes at a CC and a university? Is learning the material the same? Would I be as prepared to take the MCATs and go to medical if I took some of the premed classes at a CC? Should I retake the classes when I go to a university even though i'm acing everything? Taking Biology, chemistry, and calculus is really a lot easier than people say it is, maybe because it's at a community college. Would the classes at a University really be that much harder? I mean, if I know the textbook inside out then I should know the material right? There's no extra material i'm missing by taking these courses at a CC rather than a university right? I'm just afraide I won't be able to handle classes like Organic chemistry at a university because I took general chem and bio at a CC.</p>
<p>I took Chemistry at a community college back home and right now I'm taking Introductory Chemistry here at Cornell University. Let's just say that it makes the Chemistry I took at the community college look like a walk in the park.</p>
<p>This is with a caveat: they use different textbooks. If you really do know the book, or any book for that matter, inside out then you will not have any problems with any subject.</p>
<p>Can you compare the experience between the two? I don't understand why it would be harder at a university when their teaching the same thing. They are teaching the same thing right? Is it the tests? Are there more details to remember? Do they go through the material faster?</p>
<p>It's the students.</p>
<p>norcalguy is right now that I think about it. The students were the main factor because I remember I would get near 100% every time while the class average was somewhere in the low 60s.</p>
<p>On top of this, they went over the material much slower and rarely expected us to know things leading up to the chapter's material. For example, in my statistics class I took at the community college, we went over how to convert percentages to decimals for a good 30 minutes.</p>
<p>But the materially is basically the same. So, like I said, if you really do know the material then you shouldn't have much of a problem. Even in the worst case scenario that your community college went over things slower and in less detail if you're determined enough you should be able to close whatever gap there is between your knowledge and the students at a university by putting in some extra time.</p>
<p>is it possible to take some of the science classes at my local community college but then retake them at a senior college? would med school see this in a bad way?</p>
<p>for example, in order to graduate i will need 8crs in any science course. so i wanted to take this course called 'college chemistry I' and then take II.
heres a sample syllabus: <a href="http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/catalog/syllabi/CHE201.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/catalog/syllabi/CHE201.pdf</a></p>
<p>There's no reason to take a class twice.</p>
<p>Let's be clear here: taking science classes at a CC is not as good as taking them at a 4 year university.</p>
<p>that doesn't mean it can't be done, and it doesn't mean that just because you do you aren't going to get into medical school. </p>
<p>The perception is that a CC course is easier because of the quality of students, the quality of the professor, and the expectations are all lower. While this may or may not be true in all cases, that's the view held by those who matter (med school admissions committees).</p>
<p>However all that said, just because you go to a CC doesn't mean you can't go to medical school. Many people have extremely legitimate reasons for attending a CC, and as such I personally don't think that the impact of attending a CC is as bad as come people on this website do. However, if you are going to a CC simply because it is easier, in an effort to boost one's GPA, I think that deceitful and misleading side of you will show through as you apply to medical school. Most schools include a judgment of character as part of their assessment of a candidate and I can't believe that would reflect highly on anyone.</p>
<p>Taking a class twice, at least to me, appears like you are trying to inflate your GPA by taking a class you've already covered once. That's not a good impression to make.</p>
<p>To recap: Going to a CC for legitimate reasons is not bad, it's just not as good as going to a 4 year university. The reasoning being that the overall quality is not as good at a CC. There are ways to minimize the negative effects though: Getting a really high GPA, taking as few science classes at the CC level as possible, and doing really well in the sequential science courses immediately after any science course you took at the CC level (ie if you take Chem I at the CC, you need to do really well in Chem II at the University level). These are just a couple examples of things that can minimize the effects of going to a CC.</p>
<p>simple answer is save yourself the trouble during application time (to med school) and take the classes at your 4-year uni. Cause they WILL ask or they WILL look down upon it. Lets try to put this into a high schooler applying for college situation: would colleges take a student who has taken AP and Honors classes throughout their high school career and gotten a fairly decent gpa, or would they look highly on a student who has taken all generals/BS classes and gotten a high gpa. Simple answer, they would consider the one with harder classes.</p>
<p>This is kinda like how it'll look with CC prereqs on ur transcript. Will the classes at a university be harder? Yes. Plus, how do you know you WONT do well at a university? If difficulty is your excuse for not taking the course at a university, its not good enough.</p>