[Oxymandias]

Some background information.
I live in a country where the school system is very different to most of the world. High school starts at 12 and ends when you are 18 years old. You start in first year of high school and end in 6th year. I'm in the 4th year of high school right now (should be in fifth but i had to do my year twice). I plan on taking chemistry next year. This means i will have everything (maths, geography, languages, sciences,...) but it will focus on chemistry (4H organic, 4H experimental, 6h analytical) I can't choose how much of what i have but this should prepare you for university level chemistry.

I want to make my high school easier since its pretty hard here and i really have a passion for chemistry. After my exams i will have 2 months summer break and i want to learn as much as possible about chemistry.

I don't know much at all about chemistry i guess. I know
- Periodic table and how to use it
- chemical reactions (like dissociation,Precipitation,..)
-And the last thing i learned is calculating molecular mass.

Questions:
- Where do i start? Do you guys know any books i could buy to get me started? I'm a pretty fast learner especially when things interest me. Or any websites? Money isn't really a problem so rather a good quality online learning source then something free and not as good.
- What branch of chemistry do you think i would enjoy most? (Not that this matters in the slightest since i'm only 17 and don't plan on specializing in anything until i am older or in uni, it is just out of pure curiosity.) i don't enjoy physics (atleast not on the level i learn it at the moment which is very very low) but i like the idea of quantum mechanics, Q physics and Q chemistry. Chemistry>maths>biology>physics. I am pretty interested in mind-altering drugs and medicine too.

I really appreciate any input thank you!
(moved from general discussions to high school chemistry)

[Borek]

IMHO any good general chemistry book is a perfect starting point in your case. You are way too far from knowing enough to bother with which branch to choose - everyone has to start with the same basic knowledge, so GenChem101 is a way to go.

[Arkcon]

Hi there, and welcome to the Chemical Forums.  To help you know the best books for learning, you should check the Sticky Topics on each sub-forum here.  All of our favoritebooks are here, often with why that particular book is there -- what it does well that other books have failed to do.

Some background information.
I live in a country where the school system is very different to most of the world. High school starts at 12 and ends when you are 18 years old.

That seems to exactly be the US system, or close to it -- I left Junior High at 13, maybe other people were 14, and finished High School at 18.  So, yeah, junior high, high school, college prep -- more ol less the same schedule.  I also started chemistry in my third year of High school.  Other nations have different curricula, it has come up here before, we're pretty aware of them.  One year sooner or later doesn't really change how you'll prepare yourself for university.

You start in first year of high school and end in 6th year. I'm in the 4th year of high school right now (should be in fifth but i had to do my year twice). I plan on taking chemistry next year. This means i will have everything (maths, geography, languages, sciences,...) but it will focus on chemistry (4H organic, 4H experimental, 6h analytical) I can't choose how much of what i have but this should prepare you for university level chemistry.

I want to make my high school easier since its pretty hard here and i really have a passion for chemistry. After my exams i will have 2 months summer break and i want to learn as much as possible about chemistry.

Reading is the start of the answer, an instructor will give you the structure to focus and improve.  You seem on track.

I don't know much at all about chemistry i guess. I know
- Periodic table and how to use it

What do you do with it?  More important, what about it don't you understand?  We're here to help, but not with "just everything" -- we need a topic.

- chemical reactions (like dissociation,Precipitation,..)

Not the definitions of the term chemical reactions I know.  Work on this.

-And the last thing i learned is calculating molecular mass.

Nice.  When someone here has just that problem, jump in and help, you'll enjoy the practice.

Questions:
- Where do i start? Do you guys know any books i could buy to get me started? I'm a pretty fast learner especially when things interest me. Or any websites? Money isn't really a problem so rather a good quality online learning source then something free and not as good.
- What branch of chemistry do you think i would enjoy most? (Not that this matters in the slightest since i'm only 17 and don't plan on specializing in anything until i am older or in uni, it is just out of pure curiosity.) i don't enjoy physics (atleast not on the level i learn it at the moment which is very very low) but i like the idea of quantum mechanics, Q physics and Q chemistry. Chemistry>maths>biology>physics.

Uh ... sure.

I am pretty interested in mind-altering drugs and medicine too.

Annnd ... thank you.  Now you can practice some reading, the Forum Rules{click}, specify what sort of topics we don't allow, and why.

I really appreciate any input thank you!
(moved from general discussions to high school chemistry)