JSK Chemistry Tutoring

“What chemistry course are you taking?” It’s a simple question, but answering it can be confusing when you’re just getting started. Chemistry, as a field, is focused around atoms, molecules, and their reactivity. From there, it is easy to make distinctions into specialties, such as organic chemistry, which concerns carbon containing (aka organic) molecules. However the first chemistry class a university student is likely to encounter is often the ambiguously named ‘general’ chemistry. So this article seeks to answer two of the most common questions asked by chemistry students:

What does general chemistry mean?

How do I know if the course I am taking is a general chemistry or another chemistry course?

While other chemistry courses often have their own associated specialty, there are no ‘general chemists.’ This is because general chemistry is not a sub-field of chemistry, but rather a course that establishes the general principles of chemistry that all other courses will build off of. Understanding of key principles like atomic models, periodic trends, and stoichiometry are established early on, paving the way for more complex foundational topics like equilibrium and chemical kinetics. Meanwhile, the corresponding general chemistry labs focus on developing fundamental lab skills and principles critical for safety and success.

General chemistry 1 is the starting point for college level chemistry, though it may not always be the first chemistry course you take. The high school AP chemistry course covers the same material as the first semester of gen chem, and some colleges may allow you to test out with a sufficient score. However this is not always the case, especially if the lab and lecture portions are tied together, since the lab skills learned in AP chem are not equivalent. For students who may have struggled in high school chemistry, your college may offer a course called “Remedial Chemistry.” This course instead focuses on strengthening the principles typically learned for the first time in high school. You may be required to take this course, or it may be recommended to you based on your success in HS chem. If you’re unsure what chemistry course you’re enrolled in, this table may help.

General Chemistry	Remedial Chemistry
Often numbered 101 or 102	Often higher 100s (such as 176)
Often has a lab	Usually doesn’t have lab
Took AP chem in high school	Only took ‘regular’ chemistry
Did well on a placement exam	Had trouble with a placement exam
Have a good chemistry background from HS	Have less confidence in chemistry

Overall, there are many different chemistry courses you can take in college. General chemistry is the first stepping stone to the more complicated (and therefore more fun!) topics in chemistry. However, general chemistry is critical to your success, as without a strong base in chemical principles, the more difficult courses (especially the oft-dreaded organic chem) will be that much more arduous. Whether you start your college career with general or remedial chemistry, just be sure to give it your all, because this won’t be the last you are seeing of these topics!