Hi guys,
So glad you are all here, because figure out how to do this on my own has proved impossible.
In the fall, I’m scheduled for Chem 1 and Bio 1. Will it kill me to tack on pre-calc? (and then bio 2, chem 2, and calc 1 in the spring?) I’m ok at math, but it’s been a while. It would mean about 16 credit hours, which doesn’t seem bad on paper, but maybe is bad in reality?
Has anyone done this?
Pre-calc? hmm. chem requires some good math skills but mostly algebra. Its certainly doable but potentially time consuming… what is the rest of your schedule going be like, especially since these would appear to be your first set of courses? Just keep mind in the below.
Rule 5: Do Not Risk Bad Grades By Taking Too Much
Rule 7: Learn To Be a Student
You can reduce say the “algebra” risk by getting a review guide (I used one before my chem course called “forgotten algebra”) and brush up on it during the summer. If you feel you have sufficient student skills and time, it shouldn’t be too difficult at all.
I’ve been working through some good algebra guides and got myself a once-a-week algebra tutor this summer so someone can objectively tell me where i need work/where i’m up to speed, so that’s all set.
It’s just adding pre-calc on top of 2 lab sciences…(and I do want to take pre-calc, if only because the university would teach me everything i need to begin their particular calc courses) don’t want to set myself up for failure, but would also love to knock math out in my first post-bac year. If it’s a doable challenge, I’m all for it-- I agree with another poster here who said that you should be able to handle a rigorous pre-med in order to handle med school.
part time post-bacc? will you be working full time? will these your first courses in a while?
I agree that you should be able to do a good hard post bacc, but you do want to “stretch” before you start this marathon and not jump into all the above courses AND full-time job AND two kids at home, etc
I am not so worried about the content and ability in these particular courses Just time to take them all and the risk that you don’t pull an academic “muscle” before you really start this long run (was such a horrible analogy but, hey, it works)
I agree with gonnif on getting a brush up on Algebra. I just completed Gen. Chem 1 and we only did basic Algebra, and not much of that. There is a whole lot of other math (exponets, fractions, adding, dividing, etc). For Gen. Chem 2, which I am preparing for, refresh yourself on Logs and graphing.
I would say more than two courses while working full time is too crazy. But if you are not, then taking pre-calc during your courses will help you get into quantitative thinking. I skipped precalc (big mistake) but found calc helped get my math skills up.