<p>1) My school recommends using AP credit for biology. So i did. I plan to take upper division courses with labs to make up for this. One of my friends is a senior at this school and knows the ins and outs of the courses at my school. He also told me that the Biology class at my school is a joke and does not help with the preparation for the MCAT's. So, in this instance, it is advisable to use the AP credit right? Did i make a good move?</p>
<p>2) My school doesn't allow first year students to take gen physics. So i am planning to take it in conjunction with orgo sophomre year. Is this a good idea?
I also wanted to take two upper level bio classes that same year, like genetics and anatomy and physiology? Is this overkill?
3) Does genetics have a lab? Which upper level science classses most often taken by pre-med students have labs?</p>
<p>Btw, I go to a state public.</p>
<p>Also for clarification, I would be taking 3 science courses per semester…but altogether four classes…I just want to cram everything in time for the MCAT’s</p>
<p>Every school is different but at mine genetics, physiology, and the closest thing we has to anatomy all had labs, so you’re looking at 4 lab classes, which sounds awful. Take physics junior year, and your school’s course catalog should indicate which courses have labs.</p>
<p>Depends on your major and interest. </p>
<p>Personally, I’d recommend nearly every premed take a “joke” of a class if it is an easy A and fulfills a premed prereq. </p>
<p>Take physics Jr year unless you need it earlier for your major.</p>
<p>OP, at my school Genetics does not have a lab. You need to check your schools catalog. Personally, I’d avoid any “joke” classes. After all, the object is to learn something, right? I also don’t understand why anyone would retake any class for which they have AP credit, however, I would consider retaking an AP class if I didn’t get a “5” on the exam. Best of luck.</p>
<p>As others pointed out, every UG is different. D. has never took 4 science classes in one sememster. She took 3 sometime, making sure that only 2 are difficult. However, she never took 4 classes, she was taking more. Again, her first Bio had almost nothing to do with AP, but I heard that other UGs are different in this respect. D. has also graduated from state UG. She also has mentioned that first Bio is not on MCAT, but taking higher levels without it was close to shooting yourself in a foot. However, I would suggest to listen more to current students at your UG and your pre-med advisor than us, here on CC, as we all have very different experiences.</p>
<p>OTOH, both D1 and D2 have taken 4 science/math classes for multiple semesters in a row–and one semester actually D2 took 5 Science/math classes–23 credits in all. (And promptly swore she’d never do that again. 23 credits are Ok, just not all in science/math.)</p>
<p>At both D1’s and D2’s schools genetics does have a lab. So–check your school’s course catalog/course descriptions. It varies.</p>
<p>Every school and every individual is different in what they handle/manage/tolerate. My kiddos could do 4 math/sciences per semester no sweat, but that’s not everyone’s cuppa.</p>
<p>I’d suggest waiting until you see how well this semester goes before deciding what classes you’ll take next year.</p>
<p>^But math is not science, math is easier and normally does not have lab as most science classes do.</p>
<p>No, upper level theoretical math is not “easier” than science and not all sciences have labs.</p>
<p>I belive that OP was planning to combined very challenging science classes with most of them having labs. I would not advise that, but it is up to OP to decide.</p>
<p>no guys…when i said i would take genetics and A&P in the same year, I didn’t mean in the same semester. I meant I would take genetics with orgo (or A&P–whichever fits) first semester and then orgo with A&P (or genetics) second semester with the respective labs.</p>
<p>And btw, Bio is a semiweed out course…It’s not a joke in the sense that it’s easy to get an A. It’s a joke in the sense that it does the bare minimum to prepare u for the MCAT…like my friend told me that the high school i went to had a better bio class than the gen bio at the college.</p>
<p>and yea, I’ll take physics junior year…</p>
<p>Well, then 2 science with labs per semester is what most are doing, and you can add easier science w/o lab to make it 3, if you wish. Math is D’s easy subject so I cannot comment on that. Yes, her very first Bio was very well known weed out killer with unbelievable lab. She took it with Gen Chem. (very easy class where she was offerred SI position). And yes, she took physics junior year right before MCAT, which was very helpful to have it fresh, since she scheduled MCAT 2 weeks after spring finals and she wished she scheduled it 2 days after finals, 2 weeks was a waste of her summer time (according to her). Overall sounds like you are on a right track.</p>
<p>Lets hope i am on the right track…Thanks alot MiamiDAP!</p>