<p>I am an incoming Freshman and I already know I'll be taking General Chemistry next year. I'm pre-med and I'm serious about it, and I want to do well in the class, but I've heard it is really hard and is used as a "weed-out" class. I already took AP Chem but I took it as a Junior, but that was a couple years ago so I want to make sure I spend this summer preparing. </p>
<p>Do any current students have any advice on what I can do to prep this summer? Does anyone know the textbook for GenGhem at WashU so maybe I can look over that too? Thanks!</p>
<p>The first semester of Gen Chem is basically an abridged version of P-Chem, so no one going in will have too much background in it. The book is “Principles of Modern Chemistry”, but in my opinion, the best way to do well in the class is to work hard during the year with PLTLs and keeping up with problem sets.</p>
<p>^agreed. Not much you can do to prepare for quantum stuff… Give yourself a break over the summer.</p>
<p>Agree with the posts above. Not much you can do to study for first semester gen chem. Second semester though is very similar to AP, so you can just review your AP stuff for that.</p>
<p>Btw, gen chem is not the weed out class. The mean grade for that class is not bad. Bio and orgo will be worse, just saying.</p>
<p>Is genchem curved so that only a certain number of students will end up with A’s?</p>
<p>Nope. </p>
<p>So, while it’s possible for the whole class to get As, it is (technically) possible for the whole class to fail.</p>
<p>Thanks ampersand&! Are there any classes that are graded so that only a certain number of students end up with A’s? How do the curving systems for genchem and calc work?</p>
<p>Biology (well, Principles of Biology I, which you’ll take second semester freshman year if you’re on a pre-med/bio/pre-health/whatever track) is graded on a curve. Not sure of the specifics, but last year they told us the average would be a B-, so presumably half the class would get below that, and half above. It was kind of rough haha.</p>
<p>For calculus (at least, the artsci calculus II with Prof. Shapiro), there is no curve. In fact, my section of calculus had a crazily top-heavy distribution (almost half the class got something in the A-range, if I remember correctly). Not sure exactly how the grading for calc I and III work.</p>
<p>Ampersand&, that’s just one particular professor for one particular course. As far as I know, the grading system for each of the three calculus courses depends on the professor. When I took Calc II, a 90 or above was an A. For Calc III, an 80 or above was an A. Both limits were chosen by the professors.</p>
<p>Biology is the most common class graded on a curve. Chem and Physics will often have individual exams curved, or just extra points added. Chem lab and math are fairly rigid in their grading, but that doesn’t necessarily make them harder.</p>
<p>As an incoming engineering premed, is it possible to take orgo as a freshman. My AP chem class included a lot of pchem and I received a 5, so if I’m expecting to take higher level chem courses,beyond orgo, can I skip gen chem?</p>
<p>I’ve heard mixed information about skipping Gen Chem, and whether or not med schools are ok with it. Most of the people I know who skipped Gen Chem are not premeds, just chem or cheme majors, but I have met a couple people taking Orgo as freshmen premeds, so it is doable.</p>
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<p>Also, how hard/ long is the diagnostic test for chemistry? i forgot most of my stuff i learnt this year in AP already…</p>
<p>I failed the diagnostic test hard core. (It actually told me to retake it…) Still got an A- first semester and B second semester. Conclusion: the chem diagnostic test really has no bearing for how well you will do in chem.</p>
<p>phew…that’s good. so do the professors see your scores on the test? or does it have no real bearing on the class itself?</p>
<p>I’m fairly certain the only reason you have to take the test is to be eligible to participate in the PLTL study groups. It won’t affect your actual curriculum.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure it recommends PLTL regardless of how well you do on the diagnostic test.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure the diagnostic test is mainly used to separate the people from general recitation to POGIL (which is like an extended recitation for students who require extra chem help; POGIL is 30 minutes longer and is taught by a professor instead of a TA) That is not to say that you should purposefully bomb the diagnostic test, since if you had a decent chem background in high school, chances are you will be bored from the extended recitation (normal recitation was boring enough for me <.<). PLTL is recommended for everyone regardless. I found it 10x more helpful than recitation, but that’s just my opinion; maybe it’s because I had the same bad TA for both semesters. :P</p>