Is taking Organic chem during summer a good idea?

fastfingers · 04-08-2007, 03:13 PM

Is summer school a very good time to take organic chem so that it doesn't affect my GPA too much and I'll have time to focus on one course only?

JHUery · 04-08-2007, 09:44 PM

I took orgo last summer with Professor Klein. I'm not sure what you mean by "it doesn't affect my GPA too much" because it's still 4 credits and will be calculated into your GPA exactly the same way. It will give you time to focus only on orgo, but it moves VERY FAST and is A LOT of work everyday for the whole duration of that month. For me it was a pretty good experience and glad I took it.

fastfingers · 04-08-2007, 09:47 PM

oh... so overall.. is it easier taking orgo during summer or during the regular school year. I'm thinking about taking orgo after my freshman year and taking orgo as my only class so I could focus on it.

JHUery · 04-08-2007, 10:19 PM

I wouldn't say it's "easier" because supposedly you cover the same amount of material. At the same time, it really depends on the professor that you take it with. I suggest taking it if you have the time to commit over the summer, want to lighten up your load during the school year. It's "easier" in the sense that you don't have to manage orgo with ~5 other classes (like you would during a regular semester), but at the same time, summer school means condensing one semester into less than a month, which means that everyday you cover a week's worth of material and you'll have an exam about once every 1.5 week. PM me for any other questions

tanman · 04-09-2007, 01:38 AM

I'm pretty sure that Dr. Klein will be back for the summer to teach Orgo - that's what he said in the email he sent out last year - which is a good thing. However, I've heard from friends that a lot of people who take Orgo in the summer are people retaking from the fall/spring, so it makes it a bit harder (curve wise) because a lot of people already know the material. I don't know what JHUery's experience with that was - see what he/she (?) says.

JHUery · 04-09-2007, 12:29 PM

When I took it (as far as I can remember) there was no curve. Whatever your raw grade was IS your grade. So even if someone else has already taken it, it will benefit them, not ruin the whole class curve. Don't worry though, with Dr. Klein, there is no need for a curve.