Anyone take Bio or Chem?

warblersrule
Wed, 26 Apr 2006 12:21:01 +0000

I took organic chemistry last semester (thankfully, it wouldn’t fit into my schedule this semester). It was taught really well (although he went FAST), and there were office hours and the resource room to help. If you’re lucky enough to get a good TA (I didn’t), recitation before lab can be helpful. I didn’t find labs terribly useful because we were blindly following the instructions and didn’t really understand the process, but it boosts your grade, and it’s helpful to experience what you learn in lecture. Gross Chem isn’t exactly the most modern facility out there, but the French Science Center will open this fall, which will be completely new and up-to-date.

I have very mixed opinions about the biology department. I get the impression that it’s strongly dominated by premeds and people interested in the biomedical sciences. If you’re into that kind of thing, Duke is the perfect place to be. I was a bit turned off by the strong medical focus, though. Bio 116 (Ecology & Evolution) was packed with people who were only taking the class because it’s required for the major, so I didn’t feel like I got quite as much out of it as I would’ve with a smaller, more enthusiastic class. The upper level classes are more diverse, ranging from botany to microbiology to primate behavior. Juniors and seniors tend to fill them up rather quickly, though. The biggest drawback to the biology department is that it’s HUGE. As in about 150-200 majors. It’s easier to get lost in the shuffle in biology than in a much smaller department like physics or earth science, IMO.