Hi! I’m starting at UF with a major in biomedical engineering in the fall. I was looking over classes just to see what I would probably be taking my first semester and I saw that I have the option of taking either General Chemistry 1 or Chemistry for Engineers 1. I’d have to take the second level of that same class the next semester. I was wondering if anyone had any advice regarding either or both classes. If it helps, I took honors chem my sophomore year of high school and did pretty well in it (straight As) and understood most of the material. Obviously this doesn’t compare to AP Chem, but I liked the course.
There is a FB group “Gator engineering class of 2021” for students, I suppose there should be for 2022, try to join them.
They help themselves along UF studies.
Also, advisers are available to help you.
Go Gator.
I took chem 1 and my good friend took the engineering section. If I were you, i would take the engineering section for a few reasons:
You are pretty much guaranteed to get korolev as the prof for chem 1. I had her and she was amazing and I loved her. All chem 1 students take the same exam no matter what prof you have and she is definitely the best lecturer.
It is easier to get a higher grade. The only differences between the sections are what you do in discussion and the final exam. In the discussion for normal chem, you make an engineering game plan type thing with a group. This can be a little bit of work but you can get extra credit points at the end and it can improve your grade. For the final exam, normal chem students take a longer exam that counts for a higher percentage of our grade and the engineering section takes a slightly shorter exam that counts for less of their grade (their discussions count for more).
Overall, it doesn’t make a huge difference which one you take but if you cannot get Korolev for Chem 1 then take the engineering section if she is teaching it!