<p>biology requires massive amount of memorization. One thing most engineers hate :)</p>
<p>I am not scared of memorization, so that’s not an issue.</p>
<p>lol, I was kiddin</p>
<p>@ Sixflag, as I have told you, posted directly from Academic Affairs of School of Engineering, if you decide to take the AP credit but decide to register for the class anyway and go through with it, this is what will happen: <em>If the student accepts the credits and subsequently enrolls in the course, the Advanced Placement credit will be deleted.</em> So ultimately your grade in Biology will affect your GPA, because AP credit will be deleted should you decide to register for the class. </p>
<p>As we are here to answer your questions to the best of our knowledge, both Drexeler and I are letting you know, firmly, that Biology is something you should consider seriously to take the AP credit for and stay away from. Not from personal experience, but from every pharmacy students and general arts and science students who has taken it. Biology at Rutgers is kind of weird anyway, the professor wrote the entire book and she will teach it the way she expects it, I am sure majority of the concepts are still the same, but I am also sure she added her own little jazz into it making it more than it should be. </p>
<p>Ultimately, like I said earlier too, as an engineering student at Rutgers, as long as you take Organic Chemistry, you will be entitled to be waived a lot of the pre-requisite entrance requirements for upper level advanced Biology courses, such Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Microbiology. And it all even depends on which of the 3 Tracks of Biomedical Engineering you plan to be doing. The only one that is in need of <em>pure</em> biological sciences is the Molecular and Tissue engineering Track. </p>
<p>Let me know.</p>
<p>@Xu701zero,</p>
<p>I am indeed very interested in tissue engineering. But at the same time, I am a premed engineer as well, so I need to take that into consideration.</p>
<p>As for your and drexeler’s advice, I will very carefully consider that option; one small faulty move can put a frown on med schools’ faces when they see my transcript. I just feel as if I don’t know most of the materials I SHOULD know in order to succeed in upper level courses.</p>
<p>I emailed dean Rankin not long ago, and he, too, advised me to “take the credit and run.” On the other hand, many med schools I contacted told me that they want to see me retaking these courses; so I have to make up my mind very quickly. Either way, thanks for your advice.</p>
<p>Hard choice for you, I can see how you can’t make a decisive move. Because you spoke to two different professionals who have 2 different interest at heart. On an engineering standpoint view, it is indeed best to take the AP and run with it, but on a Medical School point of view, you really do need those introductory courses, it is the first thing they look at. </p>
<p>This question I am going to ask means no offense to your decision or anyone’s decision, what I really want to know, and I personally don’t understand and never will, is why are you investing in a pioneering professional Biomedical Engineering degree if you want to embark on the path of the Medicine?</p>
<p>Anyone can apply for Medical school if they take and learn decent general bio/chem, orgo, physics and biochem and etc and score high on MCAT. (<strong>In fact I know several graduate Chemical Engineers in my department who has taken the MCAT and ended up in the higher top 10% of the scores, but they don’t want to apply to med school, they just took the test to </strong> the pre-med majors off*) Why choose to go into engineering as a stepping stone. If anything, what I have observed in all Biomedical Engineering tracks’ course list is they are more math oriented, or mechanically oriented. You will end up being a doctor who is extremely good at math</p>
<p>The reason why I chose biomedical engineering as a stepping stone is because I am quite passionate about engineering artificial organs and other external mechanical body parts. I have worked in a lab where I chose to embark on my decision I have now. I want to work in a medical field where I can actually either help engineer or transplant these novel mechanical components on humans.</p>
<p>But my question is, how are BME’s more math-oriented compared to ChemE’s? I thought BMEs require more memorization. ChemE’s learn to apply knowledge more frequently to “unfamiliar” situation, so they have to be more sagacious and insightful than BMEs. I also thought that ChemEs use less memorization, so I don’t see how BME’s are more math oriented. Besides, I don’t consider myself that good at math either. I’m one of those who just goes along with the rest of the class to achieve a “decent grade”- not the “WOW!” type.</p>
<p>…also, I forgot to mention, Organic Chem is inevitable for both all ChemE’s and premed BME’s. However, I believe ChemE’s take Orgo during their sophomore year while BME’s can postpone it to Junior year. I think it makes a huge difference because, to be honest, I’ve heard a lot of horrible things about Orgo - someone I know described it as “brutal” - so want to take 1 more year to academically prepare myself to tackle the notorious Orgo.</p>
<p>Some people say that orgo is hard, and others say it is easy. It all depends on your passion and work ethic; you seem like a very industrious person so orgo may not be as hard to you as it is to others.</p>
<p>I heard similar warnings about Expos being the hardest course at Rutgers. It was difficult to lots of the students in my class, but I found it very doable. In other words, don’t always let other peoples’ experiences intimidate or frighten you :)</p>
<p>@Sixflags,</p>
<p>Sorry I didn’t mean that BME is more math oriented than Chem E. In fact realistically Chem E is more math oriented than anyone. Just because they are one of the two engineering here at rutgers that are required to go up to advanced calculus for engineers. And taking mechanical based thermodynamics courses. </p>
<p>I meant to say why go into something more math oriented if you want to be a doctor. Could have easily achieved so by majoring in biology or biochem </p>
<p>And I concur with drex. Orgo is different for everyone. I know several people who did extremely well and loved it. One of my closest female friend spent every orgo lecture buying shoes online. And flew away with an A in both semesters. Shocks and beat the hell out of me. LOL. It really is all about personal preference. Some people are just good at it.</p>
<p>And orgo is one of those class you do not want to postpone. In all honesty. It should be your priority to get rid of. You can’t move onto biochem or molecular bio without orgo. Considering you are a tissue track, I would assume you would want those as technical electives and it is good in general for med school. I would take orgo in sophomore year like everyone else whos major depends on it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, drexeler and Xu701zero.
As for orgo, if and only if I decide to retake Gen bio my sophomore year, I will have to postpone orgo to junior year; however, if I should just take the credit and move on, I will be taking orgo my second year.</p>
<p>Also, the person who told me that orgo is brutal was actually VERY good at inorganic chem. But, he was in SAS as well, so I don’t know how difficult SAS orgo is compared to SOE orgo. Nonetheless, shopping shoes online and still getting A’s is quite hilarious and shocking at the same time. You both will be in orgo this fall?</p>
<p>Sixflags,</p>
<p>I will be taking orgo this upcoming fall. </p>
<p>You can definitely take Gen Bio + Gen Chem at the same time! All the pharmacy people are required to take both at the same time! If they can do it, you can do it too! In that case though, you should take the AP credits for calc and Expos and run with it, so you can ease up your Calc load for both semesters, in order to fit Gen Bio and Gen Chem in at once. </p>
<p>But regardless, Orgo doesn’t have a requirement of General Biology, if you were to take Gen Bio second year, parallel it with Orgo wouldn’t be a problem, it all just has to do with if you can handle it or not. </p>
<p>But my advice is: Take AP credit for calc and expos, and take gen bio + gen chem at the same time, and then you take orgo sophomore year.</p>
<p>P.S: She will be teaching me how to shop online during class and get an A at the same time, I can’t wait to learn. Except… I won’t be shopping for shoes, I will be shopping for computers! AHAHAHA :)</p>
<p>Speaking of computers, do you bring your laptop to your lectures? My biggest fear of taking notes on computers is that if the computer crashes, I’m ****ed. Have you also ever recorded your professors’ lecture on a digital recorder? I feel as if I can’t take notes and absorb all the information my professors are feeding me at the same time.</p>
<p>Some recommended that I shouldn’t take any notes during lecture and just pay attention, but that’s not such a hot idea. What do you think?</p>
<p>I don’t use my laptop to take notes. I guess it has its advantages since I can type about as fast as the professors can talk and I’m a slow writer, but I prefer writing out my notes. </p>
<p>I probably take notes 75% of the time and listen 25% of the time, but it all depends on the situation. I try to copy down, but slowly and try to understand it all while I go along. Works good for me, but since I sometimes copy too slow I don’t always get it all.</p>
<p>@ Sixflags, note taking is different for different classes. Here is what I have done in the past year. </p>
<p>Calculus: Has to be taken by hand, no computer, it won’t help you. Write down everything the professor writes on the board and look at it later when you are studying. </p>
<p>Chemistry: Hand or Computer is ok, but I didn’t take notes. I expect, since you are a AP Chem 5 star, you can pass the class easily without taking note in Chem, just read the book before you show up to lectures, preferably Chem 161/162’s lecture notes, but any will do. I did it with my high school’s AP chem book and Chem 161/162’s notes. (Make friends in pharmacy, they usually have access to them)</p>
<p>Matlab: I believe the professor do not allow computer usage during lecture, and there is no note taking required, since she prepares a study guide for you for every lecture she does, so just read off those. </p>
<p>Physics: Just show up, do not take notes unless you think you need to. This is a classic example of Read the book before you show up to lecture type of course. And you will do fine. </p>
<p>Of course, as always, one golden rule for all classes is read the book’s chapters before you show up to any lecture, it really does help alot.</p>
<p>P.S, Sixflags, check your private messages</p>
<p>Hmm? It’s empty.</p>
<p>Hmm really ? Check inbox? Idk I sent you a message via email today on college confidential. Idk ahahaha I’ll send it to you again</p>
<p>Ah, I received your message via email. I sent you a reply. Thanks.</p>