<p>Umm. if you are going to be premed- don't expect As. I never got lower than an A in high school and got a five on the A.P. chem, and I had a C going into the final last year for gen chem. </p>
<p>Orgo is just as bad, if not worse. Since the mean is set at a C, you have to do outstanding on the exams to get an A. I am not trying to discourage anyone from applying here. Even though I am not getting straight As anymore, I can honestly say that I have never learned so much in my entire life! And I would not want to be anywhere else.</p>
<p>also, for chem 111A, it's 3 credits....but that can be misleading.
There are 3 one-hour lectures per week, an hour recitation (ie, quiz) every week, they recommend you go to a help session or office hours once a week (so that's like 1 to 1.5 hours a week)....then there's the problem sets, which aren't technically "required" (but if you don't do them, how do you expect to pass the tests/quizzes?)....then there's this thing called PLTL which some people choose to do, that is another hour of your time (Peer-Led Team Learning. Basically another problem set, which you don't get the answers to, but have to work out and discuss within your team)....so all together that's at least 8 hours of your time right there.
Maybe that doesn't seem like that much, but just think: you still have the chem lab (one hour lecture, plus 4 hours of lab per week, plus preparation)</p>
<p>There's 5 credit hours there, but in reality, you're already commiting to 12 hours of your week to chemistry. Most people take 15 to 18 credit hours of classes, so you still have probably 4 or so other classes (each with about 3 hours of class time plus reading or problem sets depending on what sort of class they are) to keep up with.
Thus you can see why all the science people always seem so stressed.
(on a side note, to be fair to the architecture and art students, I would say they have the same sort of discrepancy between actual work hours and the credit you get for the classes)
I'm not saying that this is necessarily a negative aspect, but it's something you should keep in mind for WHY people have so much trouble.</p>
<p>How many people actually get weeded out? And how hard is it to get a B- or better in the intro chem and bio classes (and organic chem too)? What happens if someone gets a C or worse in a biology major or med school pre-req, but does very well in their upper level electives... do they still stand a chance of getting into a top grad school? </p>
<p>Also, I've heard intro bio is a major weed out at most schools (including Wash U), but do upper level bio classes stop trying to weed you out eventually? </p>
<p>I love wash u, but I've heard that the curves here are brutal and that bio is pretty much a great big pressure cooker. I'm not pre-med at all (I want to be a neuroscience researcher, so in undergrad I have to take all the basic bio and chem the premeds take too), and I'd kind of like a place where they don't try to weed me out (though I don't think I'll find one).</p>
<p>why is it so hard to get an A? i'm probably just naive about the situation (b/c i can't imagine what college are like yet while i'm in high school), but can anyone specify what makes them so hard? are there few opportunities to raise your grade? is everything based on tests?</p>
<p>To take gen-chem as an example, most people in the class have taken APs, and have their basic chemistry down solid. The tests are designed with this in mind, meaning you got to know a lot more than you already know to do well. I got an 800 on SAT II Chem, and even though I'm doing ok in gen-chem, I must say it isn't a breeze. Think of the hardest tests you've taken in high school, and use that as a reflection of gen-chem, and maybe add a few more difficulty points. And yes, your grade is based purely on tests.</p>
<p>....and quizzes.....
I DIDN'T take AP chem (just a semester sophomore year)....and yeah, I definately was way behind especially in the beginning of the semester in the lab class. But if you're prepared to work, you can do it</p>
<p>would it be a good idea to review chemistry in the summer before then? i'm more worried about physics actually, b/c i heard pre-med students HAVE to take physics, and i disliked even my adv. physics 1 class x_x</p>
<p>About physics....lol, I hated physics too....and I took two years of it in hs for the IB program
but, there are two sets of physics that you can take at Wash U to fulfil the bio major (and premed I guess too) requirement....
one of them is a basic physics introduction (two courses)....the other is more advanced and in detail(also two courses)
I'm obviously planning on taking the basics physics sequence : )
lol, and I guess it might be a good idea to review the chem during summer. I know they (WashU) sent out a link in mid summer to a chem website that had reviews and tutorials and a diagnostic test on it that I guess would have been helpful (I was admitted to the architecture school, then later transferred to artsci, so they didn't send me the link until the day of class....so that's why it didn't help me that much)</p>
<p>is there such a thing as "taking the advanced class is better" in college? it affects your GPA in high school... if you're planning to go to graduate school, do they look for the harder/advanced classes?</p>
<p>depends on the program. for physics, i'd actually recommend taking the advanced class. i've heard it's harder but is generally less work, especially if you already know a lot of the fundamentals (any IB or AP physics course would provide sufficient background)</p>
<p>it is hard to get A's in college because everyone at this school got A's throughout high school, most without even trying very hard. know your competition, i suppose.</p>
<p>Is chem/bio/physics a requirement for everyone regardless of major? I'd really like to...skip on that extreme competition, if possible....(this being said while hoping to get in)</p>