UW-Madison CHEM 103: General Chemistry I
CHEM 103 is the first semester of UW-Madison's general chemistry sequence: stoichiometry, atomic structure, periodicity, bonding, and thermochemistry, with lab and discussion sections, serving premed, science, and engineering students at huge scale.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Stoichiometry fluency is assumed within weeks and embedded in everything after, so staying slow at mole reasoning bleeds points all semester. The exams are time-pressured multi-step problems graded against a premed-heavy room, and the lab adds a steady parallel deadline stream that exam-focused students underestimate.
What you'll cover
- • Stoichiometry and the mole
- • Atomic structure and periodicity
- • Chemical bonding
- • Thermochemistry
- • Gases
- • Solutions and reactions
The CHEM 103 study guide
How to study for UW-Madison CHEM 103, step by step.
- 1
Drill stoichiometry to automaticity early
It's inside everything CHEM 103 does after the first month. Daily mole-conversion and reaction reps until they cost no thought; slowness here taxes every later unit and every timed exam.
- 2
Work problems cold, every day
Following lecture while practicing little is the classic setup for an exam-one shock. Solve without solutions open daily, and redo your misses the next day.
- 3
Let dimensional analysis steer
Units on every quantity, made to cancel. It converts multi-step problems from memory tests into guided paths and catches errors before the grader does.
- 4
Keep lab on its own schedule
Reports drafted soon after each session never collide with exam weeks. Lab points are steady, attainable points; losing them to deadline pileups is pure waste.
- 5
Simulate the timed format before each exam
Mixed-topic problem sets, timed, no notes. The exams reward speed and accuracy together, and homework comfort builds neither.
Today
Today's CHEM 103 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CHEM 103. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is CHEM 103 at UW-Madison hard?
It's a high-volume gateway with timed exams in a premed-heavy room, so it earns its reputation. The pattern is consistent: daily problem practice beats it, passive lecture-following doesn't, and early stoichiometry fluency is the strongest single predictor.
How do I pass CHEM 103?
Make stoichiometry automatic in the first month, solve problems daily without solutions open, and run timed mixed sets before each exam. Keep lab reports on their own schedule so they never compete with exam prep.
Should I take CHEM 103 or CHEM 109?
CHEM 103/104 is the standard two-semester sequence; CHEM 109 compresses general chemistry into one accelerated semester for students with strong high-school chemistry. If your chem background is shaky, the 103/104 pacing is the safer route; check your major's requirements.
More UW-Madison courses
CHEM 104: General Chemistry II
CHEM 104 completes UW-Madison's general chemistry sequence: kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry, with lab continuing throughout. It's the direct gateway to organic chemistry for premed and science students.
CHEM 343: Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 343 is UW-Madison's first organic chemistry course: structure and bonding, stereochemistry, substitution and elimination reactions, and the beginnings of synthesis. It's the legendary premed gateway, taken by huge cohorts headed for health professions and chemistry-adjacent majors.