IB Chemistry

[IBgrl28x]

Next year I am taking IB Chem HL and I am kinda nervous because I heard it was REALLLY HARD! At first I was going to take HL Bio, but I changed my mind because I felt that bio would be boring. Anyways, how hard is this class if you have taken it or know people that have taken it? This year I took honors chem and I got a pretty good average (99) and I took the SAT II (720 - not that great but I will retake). What are my chances of actually doing well in this class, and what advice could you give me before I go into the class in september? Thank you sooo much!

Edited July 10, 2008 by IBgrl28x

[__inthemaking]

I did chem HL..ended up getting a 7 in it .

It's really not TOO too difficult as long as you do your homework, know the syllabus well and pay attention in class. It's kind of a lot of memorization (especially the option units if you do option G like I did-modern analytical chemistry) so you really need to review your stuff.

Oh and do ALL of the past papers that you can find before your exam..I did all of them from 2003 to 2007 (May and November) the month before my exam and I found the exam pretty much okay. All of the questions are quite similar, they never come up with anything really different.

[IBStuck]

i found HL chem difficult. make sure that yuou basics are really well known. that is what i found that really hindered me. the IBID book was my best firend once we were given (a week before the exam. i was so mad at my chem teacher for that.). i got exactlly what i expected on the exam though. it is a lot of memorixation, but if you are dedicated to it you can do it. if chem is your thing then you wioll deffinalty get through it with good marks. i chose chem for the same reason you did, but i think that bio would have been esaier.

[albabe]

Next year I am taking IB Chem HL and I am kinda nervous because I heard it was REALLLY HARD! At first I was going to take HL Bio, but I changed my mind because I felt that bio would be boring. Anyways, how hard is this class if you have taken it or know people that have taken it? This year I took honors chemadn I got a pretty good average (99) and I took the SAT II (720 - not that great but I will retake). What are my chances of actually doing well in this class, and what advice could you give me before I go into the class in september? Thank you sooo much!

I started out doing HL Chem and ended up dropping to SL because I couldn't do it. However, if you have a strong maths background and enjoy chemistry and are good at it, which it sounds like you are, I would do it, because it's better to start H: and drop to SL than it is to start SL and move up to HL. Also, I do HL biology and I thought it would be boring too, and some of it is, but some of the stuff is surprisingly interesting.

[Xerox]

I started out doing HL Chem and ended up dropping to SL because I couldn't do it. However, if you have a strong maths background and enjoy chemistry and are good at it, which it sounds like you are, I would do it, because it's better to start H: and drop to SL than it is to start SL and move up to HL. Also, I do HL biology and I thought it would be boring too, and some of it is, but some of the stuff is surprisingly interesting.

The move from SL to HL is suicidal, and if done should be done in the first month at least. (and trust me i tried , and it was ugly so i switched back) you have to understand the basics and then there is a lot of memorizing but i think you'll probebly do fine. But as someone before me pointed out do old test! On your own that is, they help you build an understanding of everything. Our teacher always gave us quistions (i have tons of papers with quistions) and they helped me a lot in developing my understanding of the subject.

[*Sternchen*]

i started out doing HL too but i couldnt do it. so now im doing SL! it was just way too hard for me i didnt understand anything! you have to know the basics very well! and i didnt know them that was the problem. i'm happy doing SL but i have to attend the HL classes

[Stereoisomer]

It really all depends on your personal interest.

I really love Chemistry, so I find it relatively easy..

However don't choose HL Chem if you find Chem tiresome. Because you must as __inthemaking said do a lot a review.

[babakren]

I agree totally with Misty, if you like chem it wouldn't be a problem

But if you don't find chemistry that interesting than it's quite hard

but sometimes it is also because you can do it that you love it

oh no i'm confused now ~_~

[ibictim]

Hi everyone!!!

Im taking chem SL and my extended essay is on chemistry too. Do u think it's a good idea to make the extended essay on a not-HL-subject?

[mania90]

I'm making ee in not hl subject (but i took hl classess for the first year). \

About chemistry:

if u like it, take it HL, it is interesting and it is not that hard, i find maths hl much harder. you simply just need to be consequent

actually moving to sl from hl is not that hard. i did it after half a year (i found it easy as my marks at sl were the best possible for most of time).

Edited August 4, 2008 by mania90

[Xerox]

I'm making ee in not hl subject (but i took hl classess for the first year). \

About chemistry:

if u like it, take it HL, it is interesting and it is not that hard, i find maths hl much harder. you simply just need to be consequent

actually moving to sl from hl is not that hard. i did it after half a year (i found it easy as my marks at sl were the best possible for most of time).

you did? i also changed from SL to HL and i had 7's on all my SL test, but in HL i lacked the basics, so i basically never understood things...

because you do not do sub-shells and stuff in SL, and this is important later when you are talking about transition metals and stuff.

but my problem was that i had to revise it myself, and at that time i lacked the dicipline, so i dropped back later.

[ibictim]

I'm making ee in not hl subject (but i took hl classess for the first year). \

About chemistry:

if u like it, take it HL, it is interesting and it is not that hard, i find maths hl much harder. you simply just need to be consequent

actually moving to sl from hl is not that hard. i did it after half a year (i found it easy as my marks at sl were the best possible for most of time).

Thanxx!!!

Yap i may

[mania90]

yup xerox i did. but the topic of sub shells was familiar to me as we did this during the pre-ib chemistry year with the polish teacher and believe me this was the first time i blessed polish educational system

[Xerox]

well yeah bless the polish educational system although i think it might have been more due to the teacher you had then the educational system itself. I was in poland during pre-dp acctually in Gdansk i liked it nice country and the school seemed very nice aswell

[mania90]

i'm from lublin and i've been to kungsholmen's gymnasium in stockholm for a week last september i loved it ! where are you exactly from?

[Ivan91]

Well considering your SAT score,you should not really have trouble with chem HL but you will be going more in depth with the topics in chem HL and will have more complicated calculations since calculators are allowed for the ib exam and your chances of doing well are quite high so don't worry.Just stay organized during your year and try understanding the way your teacher will be approaching the subject makes life a lot easier.Until you actually start IB just relax and take it easy!

[imaginelifeless]

well, if your SATII score is okay, im sure you'll do fine in chem HL, though, 1.5years of it has left me drained of brain juices. A lot of memorizing, especially the periodicity topic, and depends on what options you choose. my school made all HL students do the same topics, so we're doing chem industries and environmental chem... those 2 are purely memorizing topics....

[pretty_ah_boi]

i personally think chemistry is a useless subject so, if you think like i do, take SL. I only took chem because i didnt wanna do visual arts. By the way, my teacher got into a massive freak accident in the lab the other day. She got scorched and torched by the bunsen burner cause some jackass cut the rubber tube. Hope that didnt affect your thoughts on chem.