Pre-Med: What should my first semester schedule look like freshman year?

Colleges and Universities Boston University
#1

<p>I've been reading that it's ideal to take chemistry and biology your freshman year but from what I hear bio and chem are considered BU's "weed out" classes for pre-meds. I wouldn't want to take both sciences, do poorly in them, and start out with a low GPA. Should I bother taking both biology and chemistry with lab my freshman year? Or should I start out first semester with a light course load and continue with this schedule I intend on following: </p>

<p>Chemistry w/ lab
Calculus I or II (I'm not sure what score I'll receive on the AB test)
WR100
Intro to Psych/Language/Some other class </p>

<p>If I do follow this schedule does this mean I'd have to overload in sciences during sophomore and junior year? I know it's kind of early to be worrying about schedules but I plan on attending the first session of orientation (June 8-10).</p>

#2

<p>If your postpone taking biology till your sophomore year, you'll have to take both biology and orgo chem. I would think it is take bio and chem freshman year rather than bio and orgo chem sophomore year.</p>

#3

<p>As a pre-med student, if you're worried about having a "light course load" then I'm not sure the program is for you.</p>

#4

<p>Most if not all colleges have pre-med "weed out" classes. I also agree with cj02; "light course load" and pre-med usually don't go together.</p>

#5

<p>Thanks for the responses- I'll just take both bio and chem next year. It's just that some people recommend it and others don't so I just wanted to know if a current pre-med BU student would personally recommend taking both biology and chemistry first semester.</p>

#6

<p>Def agree with Cj02...premed and light load program do not go hand in hand. Be sure to double check on the chem sequence. If you take CH101/102 you will need CH201 supplemental lab. Be sure to register for it! My D and some of her friends recently learned this and will need to take before graduation. Fortunately, it's only a 2 credit lab, and I've heard the professor is great! Good luck.</p>

#7

<p>NEMOM, I know I was a premed 6 years ago, but from my understanding if you take the CAS CH 101/102 then the prelab and lab components aren't extra credits (worth 0). however, you do have to register for them as if they were an extra class or it won't be included on your schedule. i think if you take the sargent chem courses then you need a supplemental lab.</p>

<p>but chemisa, as an MS2 (actually MS3 now I guess) studying for the USMLE Step 1, pre-med is a BREEZE looking back on it. only about 1/4-1/3 of people who start out premed actually graduate premed, and that is because the weedout classes basically let you know if you can be successful in that type of workload. definitely take bio and gen chem together, because if you have a science-y major, then you'll probably be taking cell bio, sys phys, etc. and you don't want to have to take those along with orgo AND gen chem/bio. my first semester i had chem 101, bio 107, writing 100, and sociology 100. honestly, writing 100 was worse for me than gen chem lol!! pre-med is totally do-able, just start out strong and don't procrastinate and it really isn't that bad. i still went out every weekend of my undergrad until the end of jr year! hope this advice was helpful!</p>

#8

<p>AliAngel...Not sure if it's changed but D took CH101/102 Freshman year. Yes, she did register for lecture, discussion, pre-lab, and lab. All of which she had in her schedule. Not sure if it's new, but part of the CH101/102 sequence includes CH201 which is another lab. May not get credit for it, but definintely needs to complete sequence.</p>

#9

<p>Hey, </p>

<p>So I just completed my first year at BU. I'm also pre-med, and faced the same dilemma as you did.</p>

<p>I decided to take Chemistry and Calculus instead of Chem and Bio my freshman year. The majority of my friends did the opposite and took Bio and Chem and will take Calculus later. </p>

<p>This means that next year I'll be taking Biology and Organic Chemistry together. The one disadvantage to that is that I can take any other Bio classes like Cell Bio or Systems Physiology (though I'm a Psych major, I still might take these classes to prep for med school) until junior year, since Bio is a pre-req. Gen Chem 101/102 is truly a difficult course. The averages on the test this year have been 48, 37, 50...etc. It is going to require that you spend a lot of time on the course. I found that taking Calculus ( which I was good at and received and A because I took AP Calc AB) was helpful and let me focus on chem. I ended up getting a B in chem both semesters, which is considered a good grade considering the course is so difficult!</p>

<p>If I had to do it over again though, I probably would've taken Bio. I think Orgo and Calc would've been better than the Bio and Orgo combo I'll be taking next year, along with Abnormal Psych, a 4 credit seminar, and American Sign Language. </p>

<p>But in the end, it's totally up to you! If you have any more questions about college life, being pre-med, or anything about BU in general please send me a message :D</p>