<p>Okay, I'm stressing.. but from stories I've heard. NU chem is definitely scaring me.
Now, I will be on a pre-med track. I am currently taking AP Chem and am confident that I will be able to get a 5 on the AP exam. But I've heard that the AP test is nothing compared to NU Chemistry. Should I retake Chem 101, 102, 103 (during the summer, that will be the only time) or should I jump straight to Orgo??
Btw, anyone know if the summer tuition is ~3000 for just an individual 101 course, or all three courses. 'Cause if it takes ~$9000 to take all 3. That will have a big impact on my decision.</p>
<p>The cool thing about NU is that it brings together the best students. There’s no way that any of us could possibly know if you are the best or the best of the best. The true best of the best can place out of Chem and be fine. But the majority of NU students are best served by taking intro. </p>
<p>And you don’t need to take these courses over the summer. You can re-take these courses and still graduate on time. Don’t sweat this mysterious $9K</p>
<p>There is a middle ground if you don’t want to jump straight into orgo but don’t want to take Chem 101, 102, and 103: you can take Chem 171 and 172. Those classes basically cover the same material as 101, 102, and 103, but in two quarters instead of three.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend jumping straight into orgo, but of course everyone is different. For me, though, Chem 171 was nothing like AP Chem (and I got a 5 on the test), and I’m really glad that I took Chem 171. My advisor also told me that he regularly sees people who got a 5 on the test go straight into orgo and then do very poorly. He said he strongly recommends that people take basic chem here before going into orgo.</p>
<p>For the summer courses, I BELIEVE that altogether, they would cost ~$9,000, but I’m not sure. I was reading about it recently though, so it shouldn’t be hard to find. Just go to NU’s homepage and search for “intensive summer courses” or something along those lines.</p>
<p>However, I second CerebralAssassin that you really don’t have to take them over the summer, unless you’re planning to do a triple major or something and absolutely can’t fit them in during the school year. At the end of my freshman year, I decided to major in biology, not having done any of the chem prereqs. I didn’t start taking chem until my sophomore year, but I’ll still be able to graduate on time. It should work out in most cases that you can take it during the year.</p>
<p>Hope this helped! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. :)</p>
<p>Always talk to your advisor before taking any non NU courses. From what I understand in reading past threads - you would have to confirm this - that Orgo must be taken at NU and that NU does not take transfer credit from anywhere on Orgo - even Harvard.</p>
<p>My son did the normal route. Chem 101, 102, and 103 and he’s glad he did. You can read the CTEC’s on Chem 171 and 172 - some students struggle due to the VERY fast pace. If you are thinking about Pre-Med you may want to think about keeping your GPA up and not fast forwarding through classes.</p>
<p>I highly recommend against taking Orgo as a freshman</p>
<p>In fact, seconding siemprecuriosa, I advise you to do 171-172. From what I hear, the 101 sequence teaching is not exceptional and exams are more difficult than you anticipate because it is a weedout sequence. 171 may be faster paced, but definitely manageable. More importantly, 171 is very well taught and engaging, and the exams are not too bad at all. Seriously, chem 171 instruction makes chemistry beautiful. You will learn so much more, the concepts are more detailed so require more work - but the material is fascinating, and the curves are very nice.</p>
<p>Thanks to this class, I actually appreciate chem now. But of course, your call.</p>