<p>How is the honors chemistry class? I have heard it focuses on physical chemistry.</p>
<p>I took both AP chemistry and chemistry at my local college for credit, so is it possible to skip freshmen chem and go straight to the physical chemistry class? I already have the necessary math/physics background for this, but has anyone ever done this before?</p>
<p>Honors Gen Chem isn’t too hard; it’s harder than AP chem but you should breeze through it with your background.</p>
<p>No, you cannot go straight into Pchem. The prerequisites for Physical Chemistry I are: Calculus I and Calculus II, Physics I and II, Gen Chem I and II. Chemistry and Biochemistry majors usually take Gen Chem, then Organic Chem, then Pchem. HS physics isn’t calc-based so it doesn’t give you any background for pchem. </p>
<p>Pchem is a difficult class for upperclassmen and there’s no way they would allow a freshmen to take it; you have to take the physics and math classes at NYU first. Believe me, I know the Director in the Chem dept pretty well (unfortunately…) and there’s no way in hell he’d let someone do this, he’s kind of a hardass.</p>
<p>I also took college level classes in HS but they’re just not at the same level as the classes here. If you’re looking to get a BS in Chem or Biochem from NYU, you have to go through the classes here. They’re very strict about accepting credits from other colleges. I’m a Chem major btw.</p>
<p>^ Honors Chem with Tuckerman isn’t hard?!?!?!? But why does everyone on rate my prof say it’s impossible and that the tests are hard?</p>
<p>^ Well I didn’t have Tuckerman, I had Kallenbach (still have never had tuckerman so don’t know about his grading). But the material was the same regardless, and it’s an introductory chem course so it’s not too bad. Not worth it unless you’re majoring in chem or biochem of course. </p>
<p>Plus the OP says he took AP Chem and Chem at a local college, so I’m assuming he/she has a good background for Gen Chem. Ratemyprof is often wrong because it’s self-selection bias: the kids most likely to create an account and post about a professor do so because either they really like or dislike that professor. I’ve read reviews on Ratemyprof that were so far off it seemed like they got the wrong person!</p>
<p>Alix2012, Tuckerman is something else entirely. I took both AP and IB Chemistry at my high school, and Tuckerman’s Honors Gen Chem course is a behemoth. </p>
<p>The course itself is very p-chem heavy. Tuckerman will ask you to do things that seem impossible, but somehow, you and all your classmates will figure out how to do them. You will work your butt off, and when you get through it all, you’ll be amazed you managed to pull it off. It was one of the best experiences of my college career, and I wouldn’t have given it up for anything.</p>
<p>^ Hasn’t Tuckerman taught Honors Chem forever?</p>
<p>Anyway, so even if I’m a bio major, I shouldn’t take Honors Chem no matter what?</p>
<p>Tuckerman taught the class when I was a freshman. Then someone else took over (Kallenbach, I guess) and now he’s teaching it again.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if the class is open to non-chemistry majors. You should ask.</p>
<p>I believe the class is open to non-chemistry and non-biochem majors. Freshmen year most people are undecided about their major, so not all chem majors take honors gen chem because they haven’t decided their major yet. And some people originally want to study Chem or Biochem and then change their minds so it’s not like it would be werid for a Bio major to take honors chem. </p>
<p>If Goldberg asks why, just tell him you’re interested in chem and want to challenge yourself - simple enough. You might end up loving chem and switch to a chem or biochem major, who knows?</p>
<p>Who’s Goldberg… Uggh, but GPA is my number one priority and I don’t want to dig myself into a hole…</p>
<p>I think the lowest grade Tuckerman gave out to my class was a B. Compare that to regular Gen Chem, where I’m sure there was at least one F.</p>
<p>@smarts1: Goldberg is the Director of studies for the Chemistry and Biochemistry program at NYU. He’s an…interesting character. 
As a bio major, you probably won’t get to know him well though; he does teach some classes, like Gen Chem (nontraditional for Nutrition and Nursing students) and Biochem. </p>
<p>Shades_children is right; the Honors Chem class is small, and most people get at least a B- (I don’t know anyone who got lower than that). On the other hand, regular Gen Chem with Halpin has like 600 students and plenty of people get D’s and F’s (not that the class is hard, but it is a weedout course). It’s partly self-selection since by default, Honors chem attracts more potential chem majors than regular.</p>
<p>do people ever take organic chemistry as a freshmen if they place out of general chem?</p>
<p>Well, as for the physics requirements, I’ve already taken calc based AP Physics C and college Calc III and ordinary Differential equations. Does that improve my prospects?</p>
<p>Because I looked at the syllabus and the course notes for honors and it seems like I know a lot of it but not all of it, but I also feel like the actual pchem course will focus on the parts I don’t know and simply go more in depth, so I might benefit.</p>
<p>I don’t know still… Uggh…</p>
<p>@smarts - Look, you’re allowed to drop courses in the first 2 weeks without it showing up on your transcript (the add/drop period). If you don’t like honors you can easily switch to regular; no big deal. </p>
<p>@thyplo101: No one on this forum can answer your question, because it’s a matter of department policy, not opinion; you need to contact the Director of Undergrad Studies (Dr. Goldberg) and ask for permission. His email address is <a href=“mailto:burt.goldberg@nyu.edu”>burt.goldberg@nyu.edu</a></p>
<p>NYU often requires all courses for a major to be taken at the university, so they might be picky about accepting credits from a different college. So regardless of whether or not you may be ready to take Pchem, they might make you do Honors Gen Chem first if you’re a Chem or Biochem major.</p>