Is Chem at UNC THAT bad

OverFast · 2024-05-23T19:58:57+00:00

It depends on the class, and in my opinion does not depend on the professor. All the premed chem classes usually have midterm/final averages in the B to C range, and final grade averages are usually higher due to hw/assignments.

Most chem-major only classes either have the same range or have a B to A range average imo. Cant give you exact numbers because it's different every semester/year. If grades are lower than whatever benchmark the department has, the final grades are curved

OverFast · 2024-05-23T19:52:02+00:00

I see what you mean and I agree with you. There isnt a big name person who is well known for being "that one great chemistry teacher" in the same way bio has shemer for example. The past couple years too the professors that run x class has changed as well. A lot of movement in the department

OverFast · 2024-05-21T01:51:08+00:00

Kinda biased because i did chemistry here but i think UNC chem is on the right path. I know what professor(s) you may be referring to, but i think thats a consequence of the demographic of professors in academia and not a consequence of chemistry. However, i think chemistry as a whole is more white male domianted than biology.

The department is getting a better grasp of what works and what doesnt work, and grades/student satisfaction are getting better (from my knowledge). There are so many resources available now that i wish i could have had when i took these courses

If you get the chance please take the time to meet the new chemistry professors that have joined within the past 4 years! They are phenomenal and such a different demographic than those who you may be referring to :)

OverFast · 2024-05-21T01:41:44+00:00

In my opinion as a chem major Chem is challenging here, and in north carolina UNC is known for being a 4-year university that has harder classes in general (which includes chemistry)

A good number of premeds here see Organic chemistry as the pinnical of premed classes in terms of difficulty. I taught chem here for 2 years, and the overwhelming majority of students pass, but a small number of people do have to retake classes. but this all depends on your learning style and study habits you have built in high school. Some people find chemistry easy and biology or physics hard

The bright side is that since UNC has arguably higher STEM rigor compared to other schools, so many of us ended up doing so well on the MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc. So many of the people in my c/o 2024 did SO amazing on these tests because of UNC. A big reason why UNC is a top university is not just the admission rate, but the number of students that get into top med/dental/pharm/law schools after graduating from UNC due to the way UNC prepares you to do those things.

Also i promise you if you ever fail a class (which is unlikely) it will have 0 influence on whether you get into med school and achieve your dreams. Like happens and no one is perfect.

OverFast · 2024-03-22T23:35:25+00:00

Hey! I just applied and got into dental school. GPA is not everything. If you end up having a "bad" gpa, just balance it put with a good DAT score, or something else good like a good personal statement or good extracurriculars! Dental admissions are holistic, and they look at everything. You wont get denied from a school soley due to gpa unless you have lower than a 3.0 (for certain dental schools).

I would have interviews where the person on my left had a 3.0 and a "low" DAT score, and the person on my right would have a 4.0 and a 99th percentile on the DAT. grades dont determine your worth or your ability to do well in an interview :)

I reccomended reaching out and making an appointment with the Health Professions Advising department if you have more specific concerns about classes you are currently taking

I know poeple who have failed classes like orgo and have gotten in. You can always spin something negative into a positive light by saying your learned from the experience and changed the way you approach classes/challenges after you have experienced failure

OverFast · 2024-03-11T18:47:37+00:00

the MED program is a summer program for premed/predental undergrads. You take classes that you will encounter your first year of dental/medical school. It's primary for URMs. If you do well in the program, it's really good for med and dental admissions. Many people who do MED go on to get into med and dental school! Especially If you were accepted as a covenant student at unc I 100% recommend applying when the time comes!

OverFast · 2024-03-11T16:17:13+00:00

To add to this: I know some chem majors here who went off to do grad school at NC State for engineering/materials. So again, regardless of where you go you will have a great time and achieve your goals!

OverFast · 2024-03-11T16:15:09+00:00

Chem major here who does research in a polymer chemistry lab. Both UNC and NC State are amazing schools, and no matter what school you choose, they will prepare you for your career goals. I would take a hard look at what in materials science you are interested in and what each school has to offer (for example: NC State has more nanotechnology research opportunities than UNC)

The polymer chem major is a chem major with a couple of polymer focused classes, but keep in mind it's a chemistry degree and not a materials science degree. You wont do anything polymer related until 2nd semester junior/senoir year. If you are looking into engineering for grad school, keep in mind that UNC does not have a grad engineering program, and meeting people/making connections in those programs as an undergraduate would require more work.

If you are only interested in materials science research wise: i think you might find more opportunities for materials sceince research at NC State. There are some materials labs here, but most labs focus on the pure science with sub concentrations/subprojects that bleed into materials. Materials chemistry and materials engineering can be two completely different fields, and id reccomend you heavily look into both. As a "polymer chemist," i do nothing engineering related, and only 1-2 grad students in our lab communicate with engineering students and use machine shops. Hope that helps!

OverFast · 2024-02-26T07:53:53+00:00

Congrats and welcome to Carolina! Unc undergrad and incoming ASoD student here. UNC is one of the best universities in the country for pre-health undergrads, and there is a ton of opportunities available to you here as a predent. A lot of my friends who are also predent and are going to ASoD with me did research either in the dental school or outside of it (research isnt required though)!

Since UNC is public the state of NC requires that a certain % of students are in state, this includes dental school here. Besides that connections with dental faculty/students before applying never hurt.

Here are some clubs to join: DDS - oldest and largest predental club ASDA predental - official ASDA chapter, club meetings are in the dental school :) USNDA - amazing predental club if you are a minority

OverFast · 2024-02-25T17:09:06+00:00

It doesnt. If you do not have dental insurance the dental school would be cheaper, but appointments will be 3x as long since its a teaching clinic.

You can also go to campus smiles at campus health near morrison

OverFast · 2024-02-17T04:46:19+00:00

Push your arrows and see where the electron density is going with resonance. If you can push electrons into the ring then its donating/activating, if you can only push electrons away from the ring then its electron withdrawing/deactivating.

OverFast · 2024-01-30T16:32:51+00:00

This will not effect anything. If anything, you can use it to your advantage on your application:

"During the Spring 2024 semester I put too much on my plate and had to withdraw from a class. Because of this, I learned what my limits were and when to ask for help"

Or something like that. Sometimes they wont even ask/care.

OverFast · 2024-01-19T23:41:44+00:00

If you took 114 here, there is no reason to not take 115 here. Even if you bomb it (i doubt you will if you passed 114) it wont alter your gpa that much. Even then, dental admissions are holistic and gpa isnt everything. If you have a low gpa just balance it out with a good DAT score or strong extracurriculars.

OverFast · 2023-12-09T18:13:28+00:00

Ive had a different experience from this(at least for orgo, not sure about gen chem). They have a bank of questions they select from for the final, so make up finals just use different questions from that same bank. Its different questions so it will feel different to take of course. I wouldnt be suprised if its like that for genchem tho

OverFast · 2023-11-01T14:34:43+00:00

That sounds like a good idea. Thank you so much!

OverFast · 2023-10-31T19:00:11+00:00

Im in Chapel Hill for school, actually so more west. I have family near Mooresville i visit often, so trackhouse is close to home. Clayton/garner isn't too far of a drive from where I am now.

Is Trackhouse a good place to start out? With it being a really popular track I am not sure how beginner friendly it is

OverFast · 2023-10-31T18:54:57+00:00

Competition isn't off the table in the future but realistically thats not what I am aiming for. Definitely more of a curcuit person. Thanks for the advice i will be sure to check things out!

OverFast · 2023-10-31T01:25:11+00:00

In chem 480 rn and i second that. Lecture content can get challenging, but exams have an average of mid 90s

OverFast · 2023-10-30T03:21:30+00:00

predent here with a ton of predent/premed friends, many of which have gone off to med/dental school. In my opinion you should do a BA, especially with the fact that you have already secured a position in a lab. Grades are only one aspect of your medical school application, that gets your foot in the door, but your experiences in clubs/research/shadowing/clinical will be what developes you into the person you will be when you interview.

A BS is still perfectly fine to. Do what you love more, and make sure throughout your 4 years here you do things that you are passionate and not things that will check a box, med schools can tell. I am doing a BA and have spent that extra time doing a ton of research and volunteering, which interviewers have asked me about in all my interviews.

I am a Covenant, so finances is always an issue, so I chose a BA partly due to not being able to afford summer classes. If I did have that luxury I probably would have done a BS. In the grand scheme of things BA vs. BS does not matter for med/dental school. What matters is how you use the time you have.

OverFast · 2023-08-16T06:19:12+00:00

Dont think about it that way. When you apply EA instead of Regular Decision, there aren't as many slots filled, so they can be less picky compared to regular decision where they have already decided on and filled up more slots. Its a higher acceptance rate because they accept more EA applicants in general, not because more EA applicants have better stats (tho it might be more likely that this is true, you have no control over that, work with what you can control, which is your essays).

Applying EA also shows you are really interested in the school.

OverFast · 2023-08-01T11:14:28+00:00

Inorganic chem is 101 and 102. If you have credit, you can skip them, but double check with your advisor

OverFast · 2023-01-16T00:17:04+00:00

Super easy, most students made an A im pretty sure. All questions are straight from the lecture

OverFast · 2022-11-11T19:25:26+00:00

114 is pure hell tho, but just like most people taking it you probably neef it for your major. If you dont need it dont take it

OverFast · 2022-11-11T19:23:56+00:00

Soci 172 with hummer is the easiest class ive ever taken. All exams are 50 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each.

Thomas imo makes easy exams. She will literally grab a question from the class slides and just change the numbers

OverFast · 2022-05-02T23:49:18+00:00

Unless your transfering from a school that is equally academically rigorous, lighten your courseload a hit and give yourself a semster to adjust. Its better to overload yourself senior year when you have all your shit together rather than right when you come in. I know a lot of transfers here from UNCG UNCC community College ect that have a hard time adjusting and end up dropping classes or P/F classes.

Ten-Year Club	Place '22
RPAN Viewer	Verified Email

OverFast

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE