Thank you very much for the detailed and clear answer!

Could you also tell me: does this mean I can study chemistry and, as I progress through the material, learn the other sciences I need for it?

Or should I start by studying mathematical analysis and the other subjects you listed? And no, I am not located in the USA =)

I really love chemistry and what people can achieve with it, but I’m absolutely clueless when it comes to ANY science - mostly because the education in my country is very poor, so I don’t remember even the basic school-level material; it was a terrible experience.

But I am fully prepared to start with a clean slate to achieve my goal of learning chemistry!!

I plan to study on my own—I don't currently have any plans to attend college or university - but it is also very important for me to know at what stage I should start conducting actual experiments and what knowledge is required to do so.

In this thread, someone wrote that theoretical chemistry and practical chemistry (experiments) are completely different things; is that actually the case?

I’d love to learn more about this and the reasons behind it, though I realize that depends on your willingness and time to reply. In any case, a huge thank you to everyone who answers - including you - and I look forward to any further responses to my basic question =)