Well, I’m feeling like I’m almost an “official” pre-med. Just picked up my text package for my gen chem class. Yikes, $165 down the drain and that doesn’t even include my lab materials or office supply stuff. But at least it’s money I won’t have to spend next semester, and the package included a molecular model set, so I’ll already have that when I come to orgo.
This is pretty exhilarating, actually. I’ve been saying I want to be a doctor for goodness knows how long. But now I’m actually taking a step towards realizing that goal. Makes me feel pretty good. I’m looking forward to kicking gen chem’s butt. And assuming it goes well, I hope to apply to a full-time post-bacc program for next summer. But one step at a time, first, conquer this class. I’m so eager to get going I even started reading our first assignment despite the fact that class doesn’t start for another two and a half weeks (I’m attending Harvard Extension School… they have an odd calendar where classes start late and finals don’t take place until AFTER the Christmas break). So far, so good, nothing in the first chapter that I can’t understand. 
Good luck to all of you as we start the new semester… I’m sure many of you are knee-high in it already. 
Hey there! Congratulations on taking your first step! Keep me posted on how you like the Extension school. Several colleagues of mine have taken classes there and I haven’t heard any negative reviews - so I think you’ll be in good hands there.
I’ve enrolled in the Kaplan course which starts in November and I’m really excited for it (belive it or not!).
Best of luck with the gen chem class - just take good notes and review them everyday… it’s kind of cool that chemistry is really everywhere!
Happy learning!!
Good luck in general chemistry! I had my first math class (PreCalc) last week. So far so good! My professor is hilarious. He’s a statisician at the U.S. Post Office…who probably should have been a stand-up comedian. 
Love,
Stacy
Thanks guys…
pvd, this is actually my second class at the extension school. I took intro psych there last semester to get me back into the classroom and get the ball rolling, so to speak. I found it to be pretty easy, but the professor was great and I learned a lot. I’m sure the chem course will be much more rigorous. I’ll let you know how it goes. The thing I’m most concerned about is the class size. I went to one of those small liberal arts schools for undergrad where large classes had 50 people in them and I know that this class will be much larger. Hopefully it won’t be a problem, though. Good luck with the Kaplan course… I can totally understand your excitement about getting started. I’m trying to enjoy all this hoop jumping… with any luck I’ll only get to go through each hoop once, so might as well get as much out of each one that I can!
Stacy, glad that you’re enjoying pre-calc so far. That’s great that you have such an interesting prof. I was a math major and I know how much of a difference an interesting prof can make, compared to some of the dryer ones. Makes you want to go to class and I think helps you absorb more of the material (assuming he’s effective, that is).
I’m going to go get a three-ring binder and stuff tonight so I can start getting myself organized. Woohoo! Do I really have to wait another two weeks for class?
Arcidee,
Congrats!! on heading into Gen Chem from another math major to another. Don't worry, the way math geeks learn to think will serve you well on your journery into medicine.
Tara
Thanks for the positive words, Tara! Glad to know being a math geek will pay off somehow. I’m really looking forward to this class, so I’m sure that will help, too. Our class web site suggested reading the first two chapters before our first class meeting. Trying to pace myself, but I’m almost done the second chapter and I can’t believe myself, I’m actually eager to read more! All those foggy high school chemistry things are coming back to me and I want to find out more. Guess I’ll just do some problems from the two chapters to keep myself busy. Wow, I really am a geek 
too bad I couldn’t embrace that side of myself while I was in college 
Oh well, I guess there’s something to be said for finding ones self!
I’m so excited–there are “math geeks” out here who can help me… I’m actually revelling in my geekdome right now. I can’t believe how excited I am to be in class again?! I can’t wait to tackle the science classes next year.
To everyone in pre-med (or even med school!) classes right now, GOOD LUCK! I hope you all do well. 
Love,
Stacy
P.S. If we stay on schedule according to the syllabus, I will have 107 homework problems to do for next week. This guy is crazy with the problems–we usually have about 25-30 per section and we’ll be covering 2-3 sections per night.
Having a good calculator has really helped me in my math classes. I like the Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus. It really saved me in my Math 281 Statistics class, which was the hardest class I have ever taken. The TI-89 is a good calculator also. A friend of mine has the TI-89 and he has the Periodic Table and all of the Chemistry formulas he uses down loaded into it. The instructors let him use it, but I don't think that they realize how much information he has in it. The big TI-92 is too complicated in my opinion and will only slow you down, unless you are a math major. Some people say they like the Mathmatica 5.0 software program, but I have never used it and you would have a laptop to use it in class. I sure have changed since high school!
arciedee, good luck with your semester. i am so anxious to hear how it goes. i had to rearrange my plans a bit and have planned a precalc. for this semester. i do love that HES is so good about the whole syllabus thing and the websites for classes. having a good sense of organization sometimes helps get things going nicely from the start. i have not ruled out HES totally it's just the commute woould break me at this time.
On another note i found a cool web site (i think it was a U of Tenn. site) for physics. the lectures are all presented and it seems that it would be a useful resource. Will find it again and repost it. I think that professor for the class recommends the TI-83 too…he also mentioned that it would be much easier for the class to get the same calc. as the prof. for the ease of figuring out functions.
Anyway…GOOD LUCK to all.