Would it make sense to take Introduction to Chemistry before General Chemistry?
I would say it really depends on your background. If you never took chemistry in high school or you’ve been away from it for many many years, then I would take the intro class. However, I think for the most part you can jump right into gen chem. I started the course ten years after taking HS chem (which I never really felt like I “got”) and was surprised at how much came back to me. I would say the more essential prep work for chemistry would be making sure your algebra skills are up to speed. Good luck!
I would say ‘no’.
Just go straight to Gen Chem. I took chemistry in HS (although years ago) so it was easier for me, but people from my study group never took chemistry in HS and they did really well in Gen Chem. If you are a hard worker, and go over problems in a textbook, so you have enough practice, you’ll manage Gen Chem without any ‘preparation’ course. Save you money for later 
.
Good luck,
Kasia
This decision really depends on a number of factors that only you know and understand. I’m not sure exposure to Chemistry in high school is something you absolutely need in order to succeed. I would check out Schaum’s Outline for College Chemistry or check out the syllabi and books assigned for each of the classes. See what your comfort level is with each and go from there.
If you are relatively decent at math and have good study habits, then you should be fine in General Chemistry. If you search on this forum, you will find a lot of helpful tips on studying for General Chemistry.
Good luck with your decision!
Hi nfdal. My suggestion to you would be to skip the introductory course, but to make an assessment of your algebra/math skills. In my experience, if you have good algebra skills, including problem solving (i.e. word problems,) then chemistry shouldn’t be a problem with the appropriate amount of studying and preparation of homework. However, if you feel that your math skills may need retuning or refinement, I would suggest that you take the money you were going to use for the intro to chem class and instead take a refresher course in algebra. The only students that I saw doing poorly or struggling in chemistry were those who didn’t have the requisite math background/skills.
Good luck to you!
Larry
Hello there,
I agree that you need some math background. When I first took gen chem, I had no background in chemistry but I was pretty comfortable with basic math.
I recently retook gen chem and I did much better than the first time I took, not because I took them twice but because I spent every day doing problems after problems. This was the only way to be successful in those classes.
Good luck.