Which chemistry for future veterinary science major?

[SusanAR]

We used BJU biology- is their chemistry equally as good? (I have a science background, but I would use the dvd's)

But... I have never heard anything negative about Apologia Chemistry, and then there is Spectrum........Help! My head is spinning.

 

SusanAR

 

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[Quiver0f10]

My DD used Apologia and got accepted into pre-vet. Her first science class at college was hard and she felt like she missed alot of things with Apologia. She did fine in the class, but had to really work at it. Because of my DD's insistance that apologia wasn't thorough enough and the many discusssions on this board @ the lack of rigor of Apologia, we have since decided to switch our science for the rest of our kids from Apologia to BJU ( with homesat).

[teachmom3]

Having used or at least owned all of the curricula that you've mentioned--BJUP Biology, BJUP Chemistry, Apologia Biology, Apologia "Advanced Biology" (human A & P), Apologia Chemistry, and Apologia Advanced Chemistry, my impressions are as follows:

 

BJUP's Chemistry scope and sequence covers more than Apologia's Chemistry. To get a comparable scope and sequence in Apologia, you'd have to do both Apologia's Chemistry and Advanced Chemistry.

 

If there is someone with a science background available (which I think you mentioned that you have), BJUP's labs are definitely more educational than Apologia's. Apologia's labs were designed to be done with only household materials and Apologia's labs can be done by those with no previous chemistry experience. This intentional design is both their great strength and their relative weakness. Another point: doing BJUP's labs will be more expensive, because of the necessity of purchasing lab equipment. Bottom line, then, labwise: If you have the money and the science background, BJUP's labs are definitely better.

 

However, even BJUP's Chemistry, although sufficient for a rigorous college prep curriculum, is not what I would consider "honors." For that, you would need to go with another textbook. I don't get the impression that BJUP's Chemistry is as relatively rigorous as their biology textbook is. As I mentioned above, I own both BJUP and Apologia Chemistry (and Advanced Chemistry), but I used a different textbook for honors chemistry for my older students and will use another yet one (non-honors) with my youngest next year. I did use both BJUP and Apologia Chemistry, though, as supplements in chemistry for my older children--BJUP for a couple of the labs, and Apologia for a couple of the explanations.

 

Still, rigor of science high school prep, although relevant, is a secondary consideration compared to math prep. Adequate preparation in mathematics is more germane to success in college science classes than preparation in science in high school.

 

JMHO!

 

P.S. Sorry I can't comment on Spectrum--I haven't seen it.

[Kathy in MD]

...... Another point: doing BJUP's labs will be more expensive, because of the necessity of purchasing lab equipment. ......

 

 

It was my understanding that BJ would lend the lab equipement students signed up for HomeSat. They might lend it for other situations as well

[Guest Christina in nc]

I just finished teaching a co-op with Apologia - and I was a pre-vet major - ended up with Biochem degree and minor in chem. I was very pleased with the Apologia. Maybe the breadth is not the same as BJU, but I felt like the understanding the students came out with in the end was very good. They are miles ahead of where I was even after two freshmen college chem classes. We did get the microchem lab kit recommended by Dr Wile - it is good. I might also spend more time looking up a few experiments online to sub in for some of the simpler ones from Dr Wile.

To me, it was more important to really understand the material when you are done than to have some extra chapters in topics that they still are not really getting.