<p>I plan on majoring in engineering and i was wondering what would be the best chemistry and physics book to study from to prepare for the workload. I was thinking about buying a AP Chemistry and AP physics book. Would that be enough?</p>
<p>What year are you and what kind of engineering? If you take a rigorous courseload of AP math and science in high school you should be prepared already, especially if you were able to keep up with the work and mastered it to an A or B level (and a 4 or 5 on the AP exams). If your school doesn’t offer those and you are trying to prepare for your first calculus and physics courses in your freshman year of college, what you’ll need is discipline and an general aptitude for math and a curiosity about how things work. With the calculus and physics, you need to commit yourself to studying at least 2-3 hours for each hour of class time each week. So if your class meets 4 days a week, you have to be committed to study/do homework 8-12 hours a week. The same goes for the math. Some people can get away with less if they covered more of those topics in high school, but at a flagship state university, you will find a mix of those that came from amazing high schools that offered a strong array of AP physics and calculus to students who only completed pre-calculus and non-AP physics. You definitely should take the math up through at least pre-calc and preferably calculus, and you should take physics even if it’s not AP. If you can’t get through physics and pre-calc, you will not survive the first semester of engineering. </p>
<p>If you’re very interested in chemical engineering, then you should also take the highest levels of chemistry that your high school offered. Physics and Calculus and chemistry are all basic requirements for most engineering majors, so you will be prepared for most majors if you can reasonably get through those courses in high school.</p>
<p>You don’t need to do anything special over the summer to get ‘prepared for the workload.’ You just have to be rested up and committed to learn. If you get nervous, you could pull out your high school physics and calculus books to refresh on some concepts, but you’ll be studying enough once college starts, so you can refresh yourself as part of the studying process the first week or two of classes.</p>
<p>Good luck. If engineering is for you it will become clear, and the workload will just be what is necessary to build the base for a strong engineering mindset.</p>
<p>p.s. I went to Ohio State U for Electrical Engineering > 25 years ago and work for a computer company now. Times have changed, but not the basic calculus and physics.</p>
<p>Assuming you are a high school student, take the most rigorous math and physics courses available at your high school. If you exhaust the math and physics offerings at your high school before senior year, consider taking transferable courses at a community college. Taking the most rigorous math and physics courses in high school will give you better preparation for college math and physics courses (AP and/or college courses taken in high school may also let you start at a more advanced level in college).</p>
<p>For chemical, biomedical, or materials engineering, do the same for chemistry as well (at some schools, college chemistry is also required for other engineering majors, so you may want to do this anyway). For biomedical engineering, do the same for biology as well.</p>
<p>Of course, you also need to get a strong background in English writing and communication skills, and a reasonably well rounded selection of other subjects.</p>
<p>thanks to both of you… I am majoring in electrical engineering… I took physics junior year of high school and I am currently taking pre calc right now. Over the summer before college I am going to take calculus so that Im prepared. Im buying a ap chem and ap physics study guide to study and refresh everything I’ve learned.</p>
<p>Son is a current Jr. (thinnk I saw you on a college thread!)</p>
<p>Took the courses of interest in HS- AP physics, regular calc, AP Comp Sci.</p>
<p>His best prep was not the courses he took in HS, but his time management skills, commitment to keep up with all work, homework and reading and an obvious love of the subjects (engineering.)</p>
<p>Good luck and hope you get into your school of choice!</p>