<p>Hey guys, I'm a freshmen at Emory.
I was looking at some course offerings and requirements and wondering if you guys can answer any of these questions. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I have to take a freshmen writing, and I was wondering how difficult are ENG 101, ENG 181, and CPLT 110 in comparison to one another? And who are the good professors for these classes?</p></li>
<li><p>Are PACE 101 classes only offered first semester?</p></li>
<li><p>Are freshmen seminar classes generally challenging?</p></li>
<li><p>If I have AP Chem credit and want to major in chemistry (I'm also pre-med), do you recommend taking the freshmen orgo (221Z) by liotta, or waiting until sophomore year to take orgo with sweinschenk?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<ol>
<li> Not different, just different goals. Intensity is determined by instructor. Many of the instructors will be more intense than past years because the English/Comp. Lit Dept is trying new things.<br>
2.Yes</li>
<li>No. Some are, but you generally receive an A anyway (unless the course can count as an elective toward the major. Apparently some NBB frosh seminars that do such a thing have been known to give real grades because such courses sometimes have exams)</li>
<li> Just get it over with. Your worry about freshman English seems to indicate that you would about the rigor of a science course (and you seem to be taking only 1 science), and Weinschenk is awesome, but very challenging (you should only aim for that level if you want to develop intellectually, not because you’re pre-med. The MCAT doesn’t have that much organic chemistry and will have less when you take it. In addition, it is at perhaps a lower level than most research prof. orgo. sections) . In addition, his classroom environment is more along the competitive/cut-throat type of environment because of the grading curve. Only close friends/associates tend to work with each other. Study groups do not form spontaneously. Freshman orgo. will provide an opportunity to get ahead in chemistry (you can take biochem earlier in preparation for your MCAT) coursework and a better community (it’s small, students are more talented than normal, you get better mentorship). Also, Liotta is also a free A for a decent student and will write an awesome recommendation (and he is just Liotta. The man is famous in the world of chemistry and healthcare). If you do not like the freshman orgo. 1, just take Weinschenk for 222 the following semester and work hard. However, do not gen. chem if you don’t have to (and you don’t. Ignore any advice PhMO gives you. You can take 260 w/lab or something to fullfill the inorganic requirement and this course has its challenge but is generally less intense than gen. chem which has the extra elements of being large and competitive. Also, your physical chemistry courses will fulfill the requirement. In fact, the elite med. schools like students who did decently in physical chemistry. Stanford and Harvard, for example, specifically endorse people who have had the course before applying). It’s another hard course, where you may embarrass yourself and waste time and score a B grade despite your AP credit, and the content is rather worthless if you’ve seen it before. Just start anew and build connections with your more talented members of the freshman cohort.<br></li>
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<p>This will promote success early on and later. It builds a better set of study skills than the others will get at an early stage of your career. Normally, gen. chem causes some complacency, and then people are surprised when they take ochem with a challenging professor that their skills aren’t working. You can use what you gain from taking orgo. for success in advanced science coursework starting your freshman year (I have friends that took it, and took biochem 1 and 2 sophomore in addition to other courses and did well. They had Soria for frosh Ochem, but still…the nature of the course content, builds skills that others won’t have). Your freshman orgo. cohort may also become close friends that slug it out with you in other science courses you’ll have at Emory.</p>
<p>And also, since you are a chemistry major, never pass up opps. to get ahead in the major…Getting ahead gives you a lot more time for other stuff and the possibility of taking more advanced and graduate level courses before it becomes med./grad. school app. crunch time. You are a freshman chemistry major w/AP credit. You are in a good position my friend. Don’t blow it by settling for the average track. Don’t let the pre-med designation hold you back and settle for less than what Emory could/should offer you. Joining the bandwagon approach to pre-med can actually end up harming more than helping.</p>
<p>Wow. Thank you so much for your detailed and sincere response. Your response made my mind A LOT clearer in deciding what to do. </p>
<p>Those are some amazing advice. If I ever get to see you in person, I owe you food or something haha</p>