Word: chem
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...real issue, it seems to me, is a moral one. While I entirely sympathize with the professors teaching Chem 20 about the need for better preparation before doing Chem 20, I do not agree with a set of prerequisites that may preclude certain students from enrolling. According to yesterday's Crimson, "the prerequisites for Chem 20 have been overhauled, presumably to reduce the unmanageable size of the course...
...that he has a poor chance of doing well, but I cannot tell him not to enroll in a course that is required for concentration in both Biology and Biochemistry and then is required for application to medical schools. Some students were frightened away from the first session of Chem 20 because of the prerequisites as listed in the catalogue, and many were phenomenally discouraged after the first meeting because of the tone set by Professor Dosring. It is in no way consolling to hear, as stated in the Crimson yesterday, that...
Because of the prerequisites, some students will be greatly inconvenienced in having to rearrange their schedules--schedules that are often planned two to three years in advance. Perhaps some students will fail to enroll in Chem 20 at a time that would optimize their chances at gaining admission to medical school. I must agree with the Chem 20 instructors that good performance in Chem 20 is desired outcome. However, to suggest that performance in Nat Sci 3 or Chem 6 is a good indicator of projected performance in an organic chemistry course ignores both the initial factors determining who takes...
FRESHMEN are advised to follow carefully the placement recommendations for the various introductory chemistry sequences. Thus, if one has AP credit, either Chem 5 or Chem. 20 is appropriate. The bulk of students do not have advanced placement, however, and should elect either Nat Sci 3 followed by Chem 5 or Chemistry 6. Despite these recommendations of the Biology Department and the implicit recommendation of the Chem 20 prerequisites, Chem 6 should be elected only by students with superb math aptitude and science capacity. Chem 40a may fulfil the second half of the initial year chemistry requirement: however, Chem...
...almost always wiser to enroll in an easier course as a freshman and do well, and then move up to the more difficult ones as a sophomore and beyond. While a good (B-, B) grade in a difficult course (e.g., Chem 6) is perhaps equivalent in the eyes of informed medical school admissions committees to an excellent (A-, A) grade in an easier course (e.g., Nat Sci 3), a very poor (C-, C) grade in any course of non-Herculean difficulty is a bad thing...