Sarabunny Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 I am going to be a junior this year and am planning on taking HL Biology next year (meaning I have SL Biology this year). This year I have ceramics and Math Studies, which will clear up 2 spots next year, but also means I will need another SL class. I want to be a veterinarian and am considering doing SL chemistry along with HL biology for my other credit, and taking a fun class in place of math so that I can have more "breathing room" to focus on exams/papers/essays etc. What's your thought on that? Is SL chemistry really hard? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR.AHM Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 What? Is that a question?!!! let me rephrase your question.HOW EASY SL Chemistry is?that the right question... It is very easy.. It starts you with the basics of chemistry... like the moles and stuff.... If you took it in IG or any other course before IB... You will do fine... just 15-30 minutes revision at home at the day when you chemistry and you will be good...I don't know about BIO Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarabunny Posted August 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 (edited) I had a semester of chemistry and physics each sophomore year and got an A in chemistry so that sounds pretty easy:) Edited August 25, 2011 by Sarabunny Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR.AHM Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 I had a semester of chemistry and physics each sophomore year and got an A in chemistry so that sounds pretty easy:)A will prepare for the Chemistry SL course.... And hopefully you will manage to do well. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurtleR Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 I take HL chemistry, but from talking to others I've heard that theres a BIG difference between HL and SL Chemistry.I do struggle with HL chemistry, but it's not terribly bad, and by slacking off I manage to maintain a 5.So I would say that SL chemistry should be pretty easy. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR.AHM Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 I take HL chemistry, but from talking to others I've heard that theres a BIG difference between HL and SL Chemistry.I do struggle with HL chemistry, but it's not terribly bad, and by slacking off I manage to maintain a 5.So I would say that SL chemistry should be pretty easy.Yeah it is a big difference...I am enjoying the SL chemistry and nailed it with an easy 7... And no one in my school managed to get a 7 in HL chemistry even though they are smart. They always tell us how luck we are in Chemistry SL.... It was the best decision I made when I changed it from HL... Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
christran Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 I am taking SL Chemistry and I have to say, I am struggling in it. I took the Pre-IB Chemistry course last year and this year begins where the previous year left off. Right now, we're doing organic chemistry and I am so lost. Are other sections of chemistry besides ochem easier? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dessskris Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 What? Is that a question?!!! let me rephrase your question.HOW EASY SL Chemistry is?that the right question... It is very easy.. It starts you with the basics of chemistry... like the moles and stuff.... If you took it in IG or any other course before IB... You will do fine... just 15-30 minutes revision at home at the day when you chemistry and you will be good...what the duck.......I got an A* in IGCSE Chemistry but Chem SL is difficult for me. I'm struggling for a 7.it's not about memorising, it's about understanding the concepts, that can be difficult for me. that's why. there are so many new things and they're difficult to understand, and my teacher didn't want to explain in detail because it's not in the syllabus and said just accept it, no need to know why. but it's the way i understand! I don't really understand some (or quite a lot) of the concepts but.....urgh Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR.AHM Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 what the duck....... I got an A* in IGCSE Chemistry but Chem SL is difficult for me. I'm struggling for a 7. it's not about memorising, it's about understanding the concepts, that can be difficult for me. that's why. there are so many new things and they're difficult to understand, and my teacher didn't want to explain in detail because it's not in the syllabus and said just accept it, no need to know why. but it's the way i understand! I don't really understand some (or quite a lot) of the concepts but.....urgh I got A* in IGCSE too and I am getting a 7 in chem SL... It is the easiest subject to get 7 among my subjects... I find it very easy. I don't have to memorize or revise a lot at home. But I concentrate to what the teacher says and work in the class only. And rarely go through the Syllabus just to pretend to myself that I;m revising something else other than Maths We have the worst teachers. One just turn the chemistry lesson to a lecture and that I'm always late and give us silly examples like he is the bus and we are bicycles and if we crashed he wins. Didn't yet understand the moral behind it Another teacher, just talks with the stupid guys about football the first half of the lesson. The second half the first lesson teasing girl. Most of the second lesson about Career advising as he is the career advisor. The last 10-5 min I get fed and go outside and say I am a workaholic. And always dare me to get a 7 or answer his question. the questions he ask me are my revision actually. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 Well in my opinion if you want to do an easy SL science, do Biology because it's just memorising with nothing complicated.SL Chemistry is hard in that it does have some conceptual and mathematical elements, but basically all of the really difficult conceptual elements and difficult topics are HL Chemistry only. HL is a bitch. For SL if you work hard to understand the few concepts which do exist in it, you should be fine. The hardest bit is probably a smidgeon of Organic Chemistry contained within the SL syllabus, but in actual fact it's very limited and basic compared to HL.Also for pursuing Veterinary science it seems to me that Chemistry would surely be a required subject of some sort? An understanding of basic Chemistry stuff (such as found in SL) with pH, concentrations, equilibriums etc. is going to be very useful in any degree with an element of Pharmacology such as Veterinary science.Desy is right though, the only aspect of SL Chem which is harder than HL Chem is that you're expected to learn a small proportion of the same information but without the theory behind it. If you're the kind of person who likes to know why something is happening or otherwise you find it hard to learn, you may get a little stuck. I found GCSE Chemistry hard for exactly that reason -- learning stuff by rote because there's no explanation for it is no fun! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adletaY Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 (edited) Hmm, now that I think of it, the material in SL Chemistry is fairly easy, except perhaps Organic Chemistry. However, the exams are difficult because they are marked very strictly, as are the IAs, which makes it much harder to achieve a high mark. To be honest, I think that IB needs to beef up their SL science curricula, I'm doing Biology HL and Chemistry SL (looked at HL topics), and I can tell you the SL parts of each science are FAR easier than the HL parts (can't say for physics). For chemistry they could include spdf orbitals and hybridization, Gibbs free energy, entropy, and more mathematical stuff at SL and it wouldn't be too much more difficult. Edited September 2, 2011 by adletaY Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxx Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 I find SL Chemistry to be rather easy (as compared to HL Physics). The syllabus is pretty small, and really cuts out a lot of topics that are on AP Chemistry/IB Chemistry HL/SAT II Chemistry. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
File Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Hey, i'm taking HL chemistry atm and our school uses a system where HL's and SL's are taught in the same class, but once the core has been taught, the SL chemists get free periods, while the HL's cover the HL material. I have to say, SL chemistry is one of the easier SL subjects (i take physics and economics in SL), at least i find physics a lot more challenging. But i've had a steady 6 in HL chem, (70-80% on each paper), without doing THAT much work so SL chemistry is imo easily manageable. But like in any subject, you urself decide how you do = if you're interested and eager, you'll do fine ! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellwo Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 Took it last year super easy, just make sure you answer question with their exact terminology.The study guide was very useful. IMO there is almost no thinking involved you just have to memorize a few definitions. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hexa Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 It wasn't that hard, but I didn't think it was that easy either. I didn't stress about it, but it still took a good amount of studying to get a 6. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixthrain Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Desy is right though, the only aspect of SL Chem which is harder than HL Chem is that you're expected to learn a small proportion of the same information but without the theory behind it. If you're the kind of person who likes to know why something is happening or otherwise you find it hard to learn, you may get a little stuck.That is currently what is killing me in SL Chem LOL.I'm not a cramming person, and I probably saved myself my life by choosing to do Psychology HL instead of Chemistry HL back in my junior year. It's frustrating to study a subject where the teacher emphasizes on "conceptual understanding" instead of rote memorization and then shoves the SLs out the door while we still have "whyyy"s hanging on our tongues. Our 7 only starts at 93% I believe so I'm only hitting 5s and 6s with my mediocre B+ Chemistry grades. =_=But compared to HL Chemistry, SL feels like a walk in the park. HL students always glare at us SLs when we get to have flex time while they do their hardcore material. LOL. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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