chemistry or microbiology first?

justme1972 · Apr 19, 2007

I am taking Chemistry now, but I haven't taken Microbiology.

Usually schools are pretty good about requiring a pre-req for the course if it's truly necessary. I haven't seen where Chemistry was required before Micro.

SiennaGreen · Apr 19, 2007

there is no requirement. i am just wondering if content wise- taking one first has any advantage.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 19, 2007

In my school's micro class, you needed to know the basics of chem--if you didn't, it would have been twice as hard. But remember: micro classes vary by school.

I'd suggest that you write your micro teacher and ask his/her opinion whether chem first would help or not be necessary.

MB37 · Apr 19, 2007

I took chem first, and don't remember it being too much of a help. However, all else being equal, I'd say that chem will help you more in micro than micro will in chem. If your school doesn't require it that way though, just take what's better with your schedule.

NightOwl0624 · Apr 19, 2007

I took general chemistry last semester, and I don't think it would have helped with micro all that much - we did review the basic chemistry stuff in micro the first week or so ...

However, in my program we are required to take Organic and Biochemistry. I am taking that class, along with micro right now. For a while I thought I was pretty stupid to try to do this, but I have to say that they complement each other very much and the org/bio class is making the micro class so much easier.

I don't know if you'd want to take a org/biochem class if it was not required, but I have to say it is helping a lot. (It is extremely difficult, though).

catzy5 · Apr 19, 2007

I am taking Chemistry now, but I haven't taken Microbiology.
Usually schools are pretty good about requiring a pre-req for the course if it's truly necessary. I haven't seen where Chemistry was required before Micro.

we have chem as a pre req at my school I think there is a lot of chemistry involved especially during the cell resperation chapters, I was glad I took chemistry first.

catzy5 · Apr 19, 2007

there is no requirement. i am just wondering if content wise- taking one first has any advantage.

In our school we have to take a general chemistry first, I think its good to take that first because it is a general basic course, Micro is a very intense indepth course so it makes sense to take the more basic one before the more indepth one. I was very glad I took Chemistry first having never taken it before in high school i would have been lost in micro without it. We did get some basic chem in AP1 and learned a few things we covered more indepth in micro, sometimes it takes a few times to really get some of these concepts.

Blove86 · Apr 19, 2007

Yea I gotta go with the majority on this one. Even though I DEPISE Chemistry, it is a good foundation for learning Micro which Iam taking next semester. Like catsy said, Gen Chem introduces you to basic concept involving the body and Micro is a more indepth class.

nrswnabee · Apr 19, 2007

Chemistry should go first. I think it's more basic than Microbiology. Where I'm studying, Chem is a pre-requisite to Microbiology. Being familiar with some concepts in Chemistry before you do Micro would be useful to you. However, Micro to me was more interesting.

aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Apr 19, 2007

My school required chemistry before Micro and it's a good thing. If I didn't have the knowledge of Chem, I would have been totally lost in Micro!! At least in my class, we studied a lot of the chemical reactions that happen to mainly bacteria when penicillin is introduced, not to mention the chemistry behind the stains.

lovejana22 · Apr 19, 2007

i have not taken chemistry, i started out with the basic biology then did anatomy 1and 2. i am taking micro now and in my own opinion it was a lot easier than anatomy 1 and biology. and i have heard other people say the same.