<p>I’ll be an incoming first year at Smith as an international student, and will be in pre-med.
I’m ok with Biology and Math, but I absolutely suck at Chemistry and Physics (partly because I convinced myself i’d never be good with either haha). My HS Chem and Physics grades were both A’s, but that’s because of the grading curve since most of my classmates were pretty bad. So I know the basics, but I haven’t mastered them (specially Physics).</p>
<p>I have no idea what to expect in an American college. How hard is Intro Chem exactly? I know Smith has a strong science program, and I’m afraid I might fall behind. </p>
<p>Just do your homework and you will be fine. You do not have to take any science for engineers or anything calc based. Pre-med hard sicience classes are not the rocket science and Chem was the easiest UG science class for my D, who never had AP Chem. in HS (and she was not international, which means that she graduated from the American HS - significantly lower level of hard science classes in comparison to many other countries)</p>
<p>@Diana18</p>
<p>Please understand that as an international student you are at a severe disadvantage when it comes to US medical school admissions. There are only a limited number of US medical schools which will consider internationals for admission and very, very few that offer financial aid of any kind to internationals. </p>
<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/download/321460/data/2012factstable3.pdf”>https://www.aamc.org/download/321460/data/2012factstable3.pdf</a></p>
<p>Each year fewer than 200 internationals matriculate into all US med schools combined. (In the past 10 years the number as ranged from 53 to 198.) More than 90% of those matriculants are Canadian, in large part because the Canadian government offers student loans to its residents who attend US medical schools. </p>
<p>I am not necessarily trying to discourage from pursuing pre-med, but you need to be aware that the odds are very much against you, and you may want to remain open-minded about alternative career paths.</p>
<p>~~~ </p>
<p>As for your original question: Some people find chemistry and physics very difficult; some don’t. If you have a decent basic foundation from your secondary education, you should be capable of mastering the concepts; it will be up to you to decide if being in the top 15% of your class is worth the effort it requires.</p>
<p>Your college has a tutoring center. If you are having difficulty with the class, take yourself to the tutoring center and get help. Also be sure to attend recitations and office hours to get additional help from your instructors.</p>
<p>Since you are attending Smith, I am sure your family have plans to pay for the costs of your UG degree at Smith. If you are planning to attend a US med school, you should let your family to know that the financial burden is much higher for a foreign student, even if you can succeed in admission. With no potential loans for foreign students, most of the med schools will accept foreign student only if they can show the financial viability to attend by requiring opening an escrow account where money, often times in several years of COA, must be deposited before the student can be matriculated.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses, they’re really helpful.</p>
<p>I forgot to include that I’m an American citizen, but i’ve lived abroad for the past 18 years. Sorry about that. </p>
<p>I’m planning to return to my home country for med school, but i’ll try applying to med schools is the US as well (although we won’t be able to afford it without big financial help).</p>
<p>I wasn’t aware of Smith’s tutoring program, and i’m so relieved that it it exists. Thank you!</p>
<p>@Diana18</p>
<p>What country do you eventually intent to practice medicine in? </p>
<p>The general advice is to attend med school in the country where you want to practice because licensing & training requirements vary so much from country to country. If you want to practice in your home country, you should plan on attending med school there. If you want to practice medicine in the US, it would be better to attend med school in the US.</p>
<p>Please make sure that pre-med education in Smith will qualify you to apply med school in your home country before attending. I know in some country med school is an UG program for six or seven years. </p>
<p>I will probably return to my home country for med school since it will be much cheaper and apparently easier to get into. </p>
<p>The med education system here is very similar to the US, except the scores of our version of the MCAT is based on ranking. I should just be sure that I take all the required courses, since I might get carried away by Smith’s open curriculum.</p>
<p>Just curious - if you are so concerned with the finances, why then Smith. Somebody who is concerned with the finances for sure will choose the cheapest (of free) UG. My D. did as well as very many of her friends who are currently at various Med. Schools in the USA</p>
<p>Miami, Smith has very generous need based financial aid for those who qualify. There are many private schools that are much cheaper for high achieving, low income students than going to a state school on a full tuition merit scholarship. 8-| </p>
<p>Yes, Smith was very generous (EFC was 0) 
Smith admits a lot of low income/first gen students-- I think about 70% of the student body is on aid. </p>