How difficult is Chemistry at UCB

<p>Could anybody please tell me about Chemistry at Berkeley? I'm hoping to go to med school after undergrad so I need all those premed classes. Although I excelled in AP Biology my junior year and now in APES, I have never taken AP Chem (only CP chem), so I'm a little intimidated by UCB's chemistry classes. I'm planning on taking a chem class at my local community college before going off to UCB. </p>

<p>So how hard is it? And will I be fine with only 1 year of chemistry in high school as long as I stay on track with my studies? Also, how different are the chemistry classes at Berkeley from AP Chemistry?</p>

<p>Thank you so much!!</p>

<p>You may want to consider Chemical Engineering instead of Chemistry, since the job and career prospects are much better if you do not get into medical school.</p>

<p><a href=“http://career.berkeley.edu%5B/url%5D”>http://career.berkeley.edu</a></p>

<p>I’m going into neurobiology but I still need chem classes. I just don’t want to flunk them.</p>

<p>^ If you’re not a chemistry major then you don’t need to take the most rigorous set of chemistry courses at Cal. It shouldn’t be too bad…</p>

<p>If you are doing the MCB Neuro emphasis, you only need 3 semesters of chem: 1a, 3a/L, 3b/L. These are considered the “watered down” versions of general chemistry and organic chemistry offered by Berkeley. Depending on who you are they may or may not be easy for you, but they are certainly manageable. I never took chemistry in my life before college and I still did well without studying ridiculous amounts. Don’t be scared, just be prepared.</p>

<p>Chemistry 1A in the spring is an easy A.</p>

<p>1) If you’re looking at med school, don’t come here. I’m serious, don’t do it. The classes are hard, the premed support is totally nonexistent, and all of the other idiots who think they can get into med school despite those two facts are cutthroat *******s (albeit not Hopkins-level by any stretch of the imagination).</p>

<p>2) If you take regular person chem, it’s pretty manageable for Gen Chem (~AP Chem level). Organic Chem is a completely different animal and not something that can really be described via relations to anything you’ll have done in HS.</p>

<p>thanks everybody. I suppose these chem classes shouldn’t be too bad as long as i stay on my feet.</p>

<p>as for Jonno, LOL. I have heard stories about Berkeley’s cutthroat premeds. However I still want to give premed a try and see how it is for myself.</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

<p>Basically, if you want to be premed, Berkeley helps you decide. If you’re willing to do what it takes to get A’s in the classes here, then you will succeed in med school. A lot of graduates say that Berkeley really prepared them (mainly because if they are at med school, they worked their blanks off to get in and now med school isn’t as tough because they’ve already been through hell). On the contrary, premed students from other schools might find med school tough if the program isn’t as rigorous as Berkeley’s. It may help them get in, but who knows what will happen after that. I think either way, it’s a win coming here. You’ll learn about yourself early and decide what the right thing is for you.</p>

<p>I agree with jon.</p>

<p>if you’re naturally smart with a decent work ethic, you can probably pull off the grades you need in weeder classes for med school. however if you were a hard worker in HS, even if you try equally hard here (but are just not as smart or already prepared from HS competition), you could be at a disadvantage here in terms of grades.</p>

<p>i personally went to a ****tee aas HS, and i really wish i’d gone to an easier college so I actually had better grades and a better shot at med school. gl</p>

<p>Intro chem class over the summer is smart. Then take 1 in the spring.</p>

<p>great idea^^^. take a chem class at a CC over the summer. make sure to learn everything well when you get here. everything builds upon itself. you’ll do better in orgo if you do well in 1a, etc.</p>

<p>THANKS GUYS!!! :] Really helped a lot.</p>

<p>I’m looking forward to coming to UC Berkeley!!</p>

<p>You should be. It’s greater once you’re here!</p>

<p>I think the chemistry program is pretty rigorous here, seeing as how we have our own school devoted to chemistry. You’ll learn a lot.</p>

<p>wooo. go an A in chem at CC and at Berkeley. Thanks guys!! Happy holidays!!</p>

<p>lol as long as you love what you’re studying and you have a goal, you should be fine. if you’re doing it for the rep, you won’t be fine. PERSONAL experience heh : /</p>