CHEM 1101 General Chemistry Bridge Course FAQ

QUESTIONS

• Q1. What is CHEM 1101?
• Q2. Is the course effective?
• Q3. How much time does the course take?
• Q4. What if I am in a distance section and I have a conflict which will prevent me from working on the course for a couple of days
• Q5. What if I begin the course and circumstances prevent me from finishing it? 
• Q6. How is the course grade determined? Will it contribute to my TTU GPA?
• Q7. How do I register for CHEM 1101?
• Q8. How much does the course cost?
• Q9. Do I need to purchase any additional books or materials to take CHEM 1101?

ANSWERS

Q1. What is CHEM 1101?
A1. CHEM 1101 is a 1 credit course designed to "bridge" the student from their high school chemistry experience to a much improved level of preparedness for a university-level chemistry course.
This course takes place during the two weeks just prior to the start of the regular fall semester classes. Content is delivered on a Blackboard site and assignments are completed online. Students work asynchronously following a schedule of content release and corresponding assignment due date.

Q2. Is the course effective?
A2. The graph below compares the percent of unsuccessful General Chemistry students (%DFW: grades of D, F, or withdrawing from the course) for fall 2012 students taking the Bridge Course, or not, grouped by scores on the Chemistry Placement Examination (CPE). At the low end of CPE scores %DFW falls by almost 2/3 with the Bridge Course, and even at the high end of CPE scores taking the Bridge Course leads to improved performance in General Chemistry. There is a special additional benefit to a student with a CPE score below the value allowing registration into CHEM 1307. If you take CHEM 1101 and do sufficiently well, you will be permitted into CHEM 1307.

Q3. How much time does the course take?
A3. Most students complete the course with 15-20 hours of work.

Q4. What if I have a conflict which will prevent me from working on the course for a couple of days?
A4. After the course begins, explain your situation to the instructor. Usually accommodations can be made.

Q5. What if I begin the course and circumstances prevent me from finishing it?
A5.  You can drop the course, receive a full refund, have no record of the course appear on your transcript, and the drop will not count toward your total allowed number of drops.

Q6. How is the course grade determined? Will it contribute to my TTU GPA?
A6. The course grade is determined 80% from the online homework, for which unlimited attempts are allowed, and 20% from the course "final examination" which is also taken online. Most students earn a grade of A. This grade does contribute to your TTU GPA, so if you do all the work, you can begin your fall semester with a 4.0 GPA!

Q7. How do I register for CHEM 1101?
A7. You can register for CHEM 1101 just as you would for any fall course. If you are an incoming freshman or transfer student, you will be able to register for CHEM 1101 during orientation. However, there are some restrictions:

1. If your CPE score is 21-35 (60%-100%), you can register for CHEM 1101 to improve your preparedness for CHEM 1307.
2. If your CPE score is 15-20 (43%-57%), you can register for CHEM 1101 with the possibility of being able to bridge into CHEM 1307.
3. If your CPE score is 0-14 (0%-40%), you are not eligible to register for CHEM 1101.

Q8. How much does the course cost?
A8. You will need to pay tuition and fees associated with the registration for one additional credit.

Q9. Do I need to purchase any additional books or materials to take CHEM 1101?
A9. All content is delivered on the course Blackboard site, and access to the course homework site is purchased online directly from the publisher for about $50 at the start of the course.