<p>Hi guys, I'm an incoming freshmen who is planning on taking the course. I want to prepare early, since I heard the class is difficult. What textbook(s) would be best for General Chemistry 111A?
Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>[Chem</a> 111A Special Announcements & General Information | Department of Chemistry](<a href=“http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/chem111a]Chem”>http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/chem111a)</p>
<p>Hey is there a placement exam that pre-frosh have to take over the summer for chemistry? I saw somewhere that kids have to take it whether or not they took AP chem.</p>
<p>[Placement</a> Exams | Orientation at Washington University in St. Louis](<a href=“http://orientation.wustl.edu/freshmen/placementexams]Placement”>Washington University in St. Louis | Get Your Bearings)</p>
<p>Voila 
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link - you can take it anytime I think before August 15th.</p>
<p>It’s not so much a placement exam as it is a ‘lets see how bad your high school was’ exam.</p>
<p>You do great on it? Nothing happens. You completely bomb? They’ll make sure to place you in one of the extended recitation sections.</p>
<p>Extended recitation sections? O.O’’ What’s that? :P</p>
<p>looks like im actually gonna have to study this summer, even if only a little… jeez</p>
<p>I’m pretty nervous for Chem. I didn’t take AP - just honors, and that was sophomore year o_o I remember zip. Should I try to restudy over the summer, do they start assuming you dont know stuff?</p>
<p>I think they would just assume… WashU chem is intense lol</p>
<p>@ PandoraHearts</p>
<p>I’m in the same position as you are… Hope we don’t fail…</p>
<p>extended recitation sections are just what they sound like.</p>
<p>Everyone in chem has an hour long recitation on thursdays. The extended ones are just taught by professors rather than TA’s and are an hour and a half long.</p>
<p>Pandorahearts and musical scientist, I’m the exact same way…haven’t had chem since sophomore year and my teacher wasn’t the best. I’m sure there are plenty of people in the same situation!<br>
Johnson181, that extended recitation actually sounds more helpful…not like a bad deal at all! do you know anyone who has taken it, and did they find it helpful?<br>
I’m soooo nervous about chem!! :S</p>
<p>I wasn’t in it, although I probably should have been. I knew a few people who were in one, and they continued to stay in it second semester.</p>
<p>@ Hiltzation</p>
<p>Yeah, except as of now, I’m a chemistry major…</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore at Wash U, pre-med. Honestly, you don’t have to prepare your hearts out for this exam. I took the test without studying and scored around 78% I believe, and I had chemistry last during junior year of high school when I took the placement test. I wasn’t particularly good at chemistry either, and I only got a 4 on the AP exam.</p>
<p>Only the students who score very low are placed in the extended recitation. My roommate from freshmen year was in one, and I actually wish that I was in one too, because extra-review/problem solving is always good for GenChem.</p>
<p>If you don’t remember anything from chemistry in HS, then I recommend that you start studying a little over the summer, because gen chem does not assume you are a clean slate. I felt that if I didn’t have the background of AP Chem, then I wouldn’t have done as well in the class. However, first semester chemistry has very little to do with chemistry in HS, it’s actually quantum mechanics - that’s a little difficult for self-studying, but if you want a head start, I’d read the textbook and do problems.</p>
<p>What textbook do you recommend for first semester chem?
And also does anyone know what is generally taught in first year bio?
Thanks.</p>
<p>Just buy the recommended book for first semester chem. That said, the second semester uses the same book, and uses it a lot more than first semester. First semester is quantum mechanics, which is scantily covered in the textbook.</p>
<p>To do well in Gen Chem, you have to make sure you know how to do every single problem set problem by yourself. Also understand the concepts from class. I would only use the book as a reference.</p>
<p>What’s the name of the recommended book?
I can’t find the info anywhere.
Thanks</p>