How hard is college level Chemistry?

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All I hear is how killer hard it is. Is it mostly math and what level is your math in college (college level algebra, intermediate, etc??)

I am thinking of taking an Intro to Chem class before College Chemistry but wanted to hear what you all had to say about it from your experiences.

Marilyn

Specializes in MS Home Health.

I got a C and killed myself to get it. I never had algebra or chemistry in high school.

Was very hard for me especially having been out of school eight years when I took the class.

renerian

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I didn't take Chemistry in High School and had been out of school for 20+ years when I did take college Chemistry. I was amazed at how well I did-made an A. The instructor was wonderful, explained everything in a way that you did not need to know algebra, and gave us credit for getting the process right rather than just the right answer. I enjoyed it immensely!

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

I took it in the summer where you take a semesters worth of class in 6 weeks, I also took four other classes. I was swamped needless to say LOL.

renerian

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I thought it was harder then h*ll. I had to take Chemistry I and BioChem I and II for my program. After a year and a half of Chem...it was no wonder I grayed early. If you have good retention you will do fine. I don't believe they require all of that now for the ADN program?

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Originally posted by rosemadder

The instructor was wonderful, explained everything in a way that you did not need to know algebra, and gave us credit for getting the process right rather than just the right answer.

Points for actually knowing the process and not just the answer, that is great! Where did you take your class, and would a commute from PA be too far?

I have Chemistry in the fall semester and not sure how I feel about it. It is a chemistry class designed for nursing students not a general chem class. Hope that helps. Also have micro the same semester, PRAY FOR ME!!

C

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Specializes in LTC, Med-surg.

I am nervous about chemistry :[. I took it in high school and got only an 88% in it.

I barely learned anything but I know I abhorred the formulas because there was so many of them.

Anyway in my university there are two general chemistry I courses, one for regular students and another

for nursing majors. Hopefully, the chemistry course for nursing majors are more like the basic math stuff that

nurses have to do.

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I never took chemistry in high school and never took ANY math or advanced science in college (got my requirements out of the way in high school thanks to dual credit classes) when I went for my first degree. So, four years after I was out of college I decided to go back for nursing. Chemistry was the first class I took and it was sort of my "test" to see if I could be interested in science. I was scared to death of it, but I ended up really enjoying it. Not so much the math--and there is math, but it's mostly memorizing formulas and if you have a good calculator, you should do okay. I ended up getting a B in the class, just half a point away from an A I think.

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I thought it was harder then h*ll. I had to take Chemistry I and BioChem I and II for my program. After a year and a half of Chem...it was no wonder I grayed early. If you have good retention you will do fine. I don't believe they require all of that now for the ADN program?

What on earth? :eek: That's ridiculous! I was a biochemistry major & only required to take 1 biochem course (though I did take both). At my school the pre-req is a special chemistry for healthcare majors & supposedly it's easier then regular chem, and that's for BSN students.

I think a lot of people psyche themselves out for classes like chemistry, calculus, etc. Due to their reputation. Especially women because we have been conditioned to think we're bad at math/science. Just treat it like any other class, study hard, practice all kinds of problems (from the book, study guide, instructor's notes), chemistry is very interesting and isn't that difficult in the end :) You can and will be successful!!

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Never had in High School, and took it at 35 years old. Very hard for me but I passed! Lots and lots of studying and be sure to really learn from the beginning because it builds on each other.

Good luck!

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Specializes in LDRP.

NOT EASY! I took chemistry in high school and did very well in the class, but when I took chemistry in college, it was a whole other playing field. I definitely didn't do as well in college chemistry as I did in high school chemistry, but I did pass. The math itself is very straight forward, but it's setting up the equations and knowing which formulas to use that can get a little complicated.

If I were to do it all over again, I would have paid more attention in class and spent a lot more time studying and practicing different examples of problems. Maybe I'm just not a chemistry person, because I certainly didn't like it even when I was doing well in high school, but definitely take it seriously and devote yourself to doing well and study a lot so that you will succeed :)

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