<p>Look on the department’s websites. Or really, let your son develop some independence and let him do it himself.</p>
<p>They’re changing the biochem and organic chemistry sequences, which is why 171/172 is changing.</p>
<p>Momworried, what were your son’s thoughts on Chem 2?</p>
<p>TheNDhopeful44, he took chem11/12 sequence. He’s really good at chemistry so for him it was easy. In the last month of chem 12 the class covered ORGO so that really gave him a leg up when he took ORGO 1.
Fromcalifornia I don’t actually know that bio 14 is easier then 13. TuftsStudent could be right about how it works. I wouldn’t just go with one bio and an AP credit for early assurance. Even though the site says it could be acceptable, I wouldn’t count on it. Your son should take a higher level bio class. If he does bio 13 next fall he can take another bio in the spring of sophomore year. Some of my sons friends took genetics and had to drop it because it was really hard and they were failing. But everyone is different. He could take biochemistry. It’s required now anyway. That would give him 1 year of bio in tufts.</p>
<p>TuftsStudent, my son is too independent, that is why I want to check eveything by myself since he does not tell me much about school/class and he is a last-minute person. Being a mom, maybe I worry too much since so far he is doing great at Tufts. All I do might be a waste since he barelly listen to me. But I just want to know it! During the break, he listened to me on one important thing: draft a 4 yr course plan according to two different majors he has in mind, otherwise it is really unknow what he will do. That’s why I know he did not plan to take more bio.</p>
<p>My husband used to be a TA to Nuclear Engineering undergrad at Purdue while he was a grad student. He tole my son that at that time all the stuendts were taking 6-7 courses per semester, you really should take at least 5 courses after an easy 1st semester. Of course, my son would not agree. Based on the number, 4 is really a small number per semster. But maybe the loads are heavy. But you know Nuclear Eng courses are way too heavy. Side talk, just a thought he could squeeze one bio course in. I think I am dreaming. :)</p>
<p>Thanks all for the great suggestion on taking another bio besides bio13. Hope he will change his plan.</p>
<p>Fromcalifornia, I was thinking the same way like your husband last year. I majored in engineering and had to take 19 credits /semester. So last year I tried converting his 4.5 credits to the actual hours (the way my credits counted). I was surprised that when you add all the class times, recitations, and labs it came out to 19 hours. And that’s equivalent to what I was doing as an engineer. And when you have more then 2 lab sciences it becomes even more hours. If your son came in with AP credits, there is really no reason to take more then 4 credits per semester to graduate. My son was going to double major, but I think he changed his mind. He might do a minor or just take classes that he would enjoy for fun.</p>
<p>momworried, the way you did is perfect. Wao, did not expect 4.5 credits count that much. I think those students do not care that much about grades, B or C is good enough. But for premed students, they are aiming to good grades. This consumes lots of their time and energy. </p>
<p>I know that based on my son’s APs, he does not need to take extra for graduation purpose. But with 10 premed courses, if he is major in totally different one with bio/chem, he will spend all other time on the major courses. He would not have time to take some fun classes like classics, paleontology or art which he loves since little. I really hope he could expose to some of those in the college.</p>
<p>I just came up with one idea. I speak loud. There might be drawback and I miss something. If you are not in bio major, even in biochem major, you do not have to take bio13 or 14. Use AP to place out bio13, then can take bio41 and above since most of them only requires bio13 as pre-req. So you do not need to touch bio13 and 14 at all. Only if earlier assurance requires bio13 or 14 besides upper bio? Did I miss something?</p>
<p>But maybe upper bio courses are even harder than bio13/14.</p>
<p>I could be wrong but I think both bio 13 and 14 are required for premed.</p>