<p>will i be able to get involved with the focus program easily as an engineer/ pre med? I know i have a lot of coursework and requirements and i was wondering if the focus program would just be too much on my plate...</p>
<p>You can definitely do it if you have enough AP credits. I would generally recommend having at least some math and chemistry APs so your schedule isn’t terribly screwed for the next four years.</p>
<p>wait, azn, so is a focus program really difficult? you make it sound like it can really screw up your schedule, which I don’t completely get since it’s only half a credit and one semester, right?</p>
<p>The classes themselves are usually not difficult; however, as an engineer, you will have numerous requirements to fulfill. Moreover, if you are premed, you have to also add on even more classes to the list you have to take. FOCUS takes up 2 and a half courses during your first semester, leaving you with only two classes to pick freely from (three if you want to overload, which I do not recommend in your first semester). If you don’t have AP credit for chem and math, you will have to take 5 semesters of math and 4 semesters of chemistry (5 if you count biochem) to fulfill all the engineering and premed requirements (along with 3 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of english). As you can see, getting all of these requirements out of the way requires you to start the chem/math sequence really early if you want to graduate on time. FOCUS might conflict with your chem/math sequence, setting you back a semester and making your scheduling down the road really hard. </p>
<p>I hope I explained it well, but TLDR: FOCUS is bad on your schedule if you don’t have AP Chem or Math.</p>
<p>ooh okay thank you so much! i don’t think its for me then… i have ap chem credits and possibly math but i’m a little reluctant to use my chem ones since i didn’t have that great of a teacher…</p>
<p>Always always use credits to place out of classes at Duke (with sole exception of psych 11). The introductory classes are curved extremely harshly, and you will not be guaranteed to make an A even if you have taken the class before. Do yourself a favor and sign up for the freshman orgo section (which has a very favorable curve).</p>