How do I prepare for my freshman year in college as a Chem/Bio/Biochem Major?

Answer 1

I'm a chem major.
I took AP Chem in highschool so I was able to skip Chem I and Chem II and go straight into Organic my first semester.
Let me tell you, that was probably the biggest mistake ever.
Organic chem has a reputation of being "hard". And it is, it requires a great deal of memorization and a sturdy background in chem I (molecular orbitals, physical properties, etc). I'd go over that stuff before you take organic. If you still have a h.s. chem book, check the last few chapters of your text to see you have a section on organic chem, and try reading that.
Also, a large part of organic chem is naming large carbon compounds. This seems easy to learn but there are a lot of exceptions, and it requires a large amount of practice. I'd find a few websites online that have organic chem nomenclature practice problems, and learn those before you start. Most professors dont' emphasize this in lectures, but require you to knwo it for the exam.
I suggest, as does my orgochem prof, taking bio before chem. I obviously didn't do that.
Don't skimp out on math classes, though.

Answer 2

Give up on a social life for the first year of college.

Take a class on memorization.

Take those classes before you go to college, so it will be mostly review (ie, AP classes in high school).

When you get to college, don't sign up for Bio AND Chem AND physics at the same time.

Answer 3

I know you're going to chose the professor as best answer because I would too. Yes, most people take pre-calc, but I never did and I did very well. And there really weren't that many required classes. I finished in 3 years and I went to UNC Chapel Hill so I didn't go to a $hitty school. I'm not saying my way is the best for everyone but it can be done. But to skip pre-cal you probably would need to get permission from an advisor.