I almost changed my major because of chem...

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I know that sounds a little crazy, but for me, chem is the one class that truly terrifies me!!! I have put it off and done all my other science classes and received A's in all of them, but for some reason facing chem is really scaring me.:scrying: Maybe it's because I have heard so many horror stories or maybe it's all the math (not my favorite subject and I've been out of school since 2000!). The one thing I do know is that nursing is my calling and I can't let one stupid 4 credit hour class stand in my way. Any advice or calming thoughts? lol :confused:

Hmm, I'll be taking it with APII. Those are the only two prereqs i'll have left and then it's time to apply!

Eff you Chem, you will NOT mess this up for me! Imma gonna use that chemist husband of mine! :p

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I guess I'm lucky. My school doesn't require chem for the nursing major, but I took chem 4 years ago at another school when I initially started my prenursing classes. Not my favorite. My advice is try to find out which profs teach chem and which ones other students recommend. It makes all the difference to have a prof who you feel comfortable around and who you can ask questions to...I don't know how big your school is, so I guess it might be a TA in some cases. I go to a little community college so most of the basic science classes are dominated by health science majors, so usually everyone is in the same boat that you are.

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Me, speaking to a friend a year ago, regarding the Chemistry course I was about to take: "I'm going to be the class idiot!"

Me, speaking to a friend after taking my first Chem course: "I kicked butt! I freaking LOVE chemistry!"

My point: don't listen to that conversation in your head. Just DO IT. Stay focused, do EVERY homework problem and then do them AGAIN before each test. Engage the teacher in a little conversation after class every now and then. Raise your hand, or even interrupt the prof if you don't understand what s/he's teaching. Don't miss a class if you don't absolutely have to. If you get even a little confused, ask for help immediately. It won't go away; chemistry skills build on the stuff you learned last week...

I wasn't as worried about the math; I was worried about the labs. Hah! I'm still not the greatest chem lab person, but lab wasn't quite the big deal my high school memories seemed to make it into.

The math is NOT hard and NOT complex. Simple algebra. Some teachers even will allow a "cheat sheet" so you don't have to memorize formulas. The one thing a lot of students have trouble with is dimensional analysis, and that's not because the math is hard, but because they don't get a firm grasp on the concept. If you have any trouble with it, get help right away. It's a skill that will serve you well in nursing school, too!

I'm starting my third Chemistry course next week and I'm not even a little nervous. What a change! From "I'm going to be the class idiot" to AtomicWoman in a few months! You can do this!!! Don't let your fears stop you. And be sure to ask us Chemistry nuts for help when you need it! :)

And here's some fairy dust for you just for good measure:

:wshgrt:

Best of luck!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

One suggestion about Chemistry is to never miss class. Missing one chemistry class is like missing a week of regular classes.

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