<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I'm a biology major at a small liberal arts college. I took organic chemistry last spring and failed it, largely because I had a hard time forcing myself to care about it while I was taking other classes that were a lot more relevant to my intended career (I want to go into ecology). This summer, I really want to do an REU, but I also need to find a way to get credit for orgo so I can graduate with a bio major. Given that most summer session are 5 weeks long, and most REUs I applied for are 10 weeks long, there is just enough time to do both. However, none of the orgo 1 classes align with the very beginning (May 14th) or end (August 31st) of my summer. There are some orgo 2 classes that align with the end, but it seems no one wants to offer orgo 1 during the second summer session (which makes sense, but is frustrating, since I don't need orgo 2). If anyone knows of any exceptions to this, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks!</p>
<p>Maybe you should try asking the people running the reus if it would be possible to take a class while participating in the reu. It would save you a lot of headache trying to find a school offering orgo when you’re available. Also, if the reu at your school, you probably wouldn’t even have to worry about credits transferring.</p>
<p>^I think the problem with that would be location, as any REU for ecology is likely to be out in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>When are you graduating? Is there a way that you can still take both orgos during the school year and finish on time?</p>
<p>I have yet to take orgo (I’ll be taking both semesters next year as a junior) and I am completely unable to do it during the summer due to work and research, so I feel your pain. It would be so much easier to just get it out of the way in the summer! I would suggest talking to your advisor and seeing if you can work something out. Maybe you could work in an ecologist’s lab at a large university for the summer and take orgo at that university?</p>
<p>Yeah, there aren’t really good locations for me to simultaneously do ecology and take orgo. Plus, I’m pretty sure most REUs would want me to devote full attention to them.</p>
<p>I’m graduating next spring, but I only need orgo 1 (orgo 2 is not required for bio majors who aren’t premeds or specializing in biochem, and I have no interest in taking it). Orgo 1 will be offered one more time before I graduate, but I really don’t want to take it while I’m trying to take other classes, since that turned out so badly last time. I also probably don’t actually have room in my schedule to do that.</p>
<p>Ooo, good luck! I guess working in an ecologist’s lab at a large university is an option, but I’m worried it wouldn’t look as strong for grad school applications.</p>
<p>Well, it is different from an REU, but they both have their strengths and weaknesses. My advisor suggested to me that I try to do both, not just work in a lab at school. </p>
<p>You’re so lucky that you only have to take one! I’m an environmental bio major and I have to take both. :/</p>