The world just got a little bit easier for non-science majors at Diablo Valley College.

Moving forward, traditional science courses will no longer be their sole option to satisfy the physical science requirement. By opting for chemistry 106 or chemistry 107, non-science majors will be able to focus more on what they came here to study and less on what they did not.

As every student learns in their first semester, whether one is a science major or not, one requirement for transferring to a four-year university is a successful attempt in a physical science course. Unbeknownst to many, though, is the fact that the popularly recommended classes for satisfaction are, in terms of content, largely unnecessary for non-science majors.

Recognizing this, DVC is bringing back chemistry 106 and introducing chemistry 107. Each has their own distinct perks but both share the same goal: To save students time.

With chemistry 106, students are given an alternative to the slightly more technical chemistry 108. In fact, it is specifically designed for those seeking to complete the physical science requirement without the extra profundity.

Unlike its counterpart, says DVC chemistry professor Claudia Hein, “It does not try to prepare students for other chemistry courses; just to present them with a general study of chemistry.” After 15 years of offering it on-and-off due to budget limitations, the chemistry department expects that it will finally be available to students on a consistent basis and that, just as professor Hein hopes, it will be taken advantage of by all who can benefit.

The other component of this good news, chemistry 107, will allow students in the technical field of nursing to more swiftly reach their goals. Not long ago, many nursing programs revamped their physical science requirement.

Instead of one year, they decided, one semester of chemistry will suffice. Ever since, chemistry 108 has been accepted in place of both chemistry 108 and 109. A noticed handicap, however, was that this change permitted students keen on checking off this requirement quickly to skip the nursing-relevant topics that chemistry 109 would have equipped them with.

Interested in resolving this, the chemistry department set to concoct chemistry 107, effectively combining 108 and 109. Since spring 2016, when it was inaugurated as a course, nursing students have been able to, as the metaphor goes, kill two birds with one stone.

Knowing how helpful students will find this, professor Hein carefully reminds that not all nursing programs have changed and that some continue to request both chemistry 108 and 109. “Prospective nursing students should investigate themselves and chose the right sequence for them.”