<p>Is it allowed? Is it manageable?</p>
<p>[Yale</a> Daily News - Part 2 of 2: Many science majors don?t last four years - Comments](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2010/01/26/many-science-majors-dont-last-four-years/comments/]Yale”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2010/01/26/many-science-majors-dont-last-four-years/comments/)</p>
<p>Here is a helpful link for you.</p>
<p>Is a semester class the equivalent of one credit?</p>
<p>^ Yep, I believe so.</p>
<p>I know a 1 semester foreign language class is 1.5 credits though, and the intensive foreign language classes are 2 credits/semester. I think some seminars, such as PSE, are a half credit.</p>
<p>Speaking of language though, can anybody comment on the workload for intensive introductory spanish?</p>
<p>D1 did it one semester since science labs always force either a 4.5 or 5.5 load. However, it wasn’t her fr year and she took one course CR.</p>
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<p>Though, like you, I have yet to start my freshman year at Yale, I heard from lots of current students that introductory language classes are extremely difficult. Not only do they take up lots of time because they meet daily, but they also go over concepts extremely quickly and many students find it difficult to keep up. I’ve heard that the only way to really manage is if you devote a fair amount of time every day (outside of class-time) to stay on top of assignments and to review what you already know. Otherwise, as many students have told me, it feels almost as though your mind forgets stuff learned a couple of weeks ago in order to accommodate new information, if that makes sense. </p>
<p>As well, I’ve heard from many college students (not just at Yale) that students who have taken a foreign language in high school often do better with taking a new language in college than their peers do who have no prior foreign language experience. (wow I hope that made sense.) Basically, if you’ve already taken a foreign language, you should “know how to learn a new language,” which makes things a bit easier.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard anything about Spanish in particular, though.</p>
<p>It’s allowed. Frankly with shopping period, I always entered the semester carrying six courses, intending on dropping what I could do away with. Only one semester I actually carried the six – funny thing was due to the compressed workload, I became more efficient and it was my best semester (grade wise) of the eight I was at Yale. Go figure.</p>
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<p>Yeah, I’ve heard that you should devote about two hours each day to a foreign language class, which adds up to 10 hrs a week since they’re every day. </p>
<p>I’ve been thinking though - what could possibly be so hard about it? I mean a language will be a language no matter where you take it, so I’m just not seeing why it’s so much tougher other than a bigger workload than high school.</p>
<p>Speaking of classes, this is what I’m thinking of taking 1st semester:</p>
<p>Math 244 - Discrete Math
CPSC 201 - Intro to CS
PHY 439 - Basic Quantum Mech.
SPAN 125 - Intensive Elementary Spanish</p>
<p>Any current students care to comment? It would be cool if there was a thread on CC where prefrosh could just write their plans and have current students comment.</p>
<p>^ I think it’s just the pace… You learn new things so quickly that, whereas you might spend 3-4 high school classes learning about direct/indirect object pronouns in Spanish, you’ll only spend 1 college class covering the same material.</p>
<p>What about if you take Intro Russian? Does anybody know the intensity level of that class? Also, if it’s so “hard” would it be smart to hold off on starting your language credit the second semester of freshman year…?</p>
<p>999999: your intro course would start Fall semester, you just can’t jump into intro russian in the Winter. It’s tough but lots of people do it. Ask upperclassmen when you get there.</p>
<p>My roomie (jewish kid from MA) took intro Mandarin – ended up being a E Asian Studies major – now a Wall St Banker. LOL</p>
<p>Oh okay, I get what you mean now, second semester would be the second half of intro russian, or intermediate russian…? Basically, either way, I have to begin first semester, got it.</p>
<p>And that’s cool, hopefully it won’t be too bad, Bosnian has some similarities to Russian anyways…</p>
<p>Anomaly: Unless you have already covered all the prereqs, I don’t think that you will be able to do basic quantum. If you are as interested in math/science as you seem off your proposed course load then you should probably take math 230, a full year survey course of all undergrad mathematics (although light on the analysis I am told).</p>
<p>^ I have AP credit for the physics part, and I know the information/ am learning the info for the 301a part, so I think I’ll be good to go. I know my 1st semester seems like I only want to do math/sci but I scheduled in around 2-3 non math/sci courses for spring and I want to keep a good 50:50 ratio between math/sci and non-math/sci in my course selection over the years.</p>
<p>I was interested in math 230 but math 244 is a requirement for CS majors, and I don’t really have space in my projected schedule for 230. You know, we’re sitting here discussing possible set ups but I bet we’ll start off with a completely different set once school actually starts haha.</p>
<p>How about you 2014Yale? What courses are you planning?</p>
<p>that makes a lot more sense taking 244 if you are a CS major.</p>
<p>I am shopping math 230 (could skip it and go to real analysis, but am thinking that my proof writing is probably below par), phys 260, and have to decide whether I am going to do a language (probably italian) or do two other courses where I have so many different options I have no idea. I would probably take an art class (previous experience is doodling) and am hoping to get into a freshman seminar dealing with history.</p>
<p>I also might have a completely different schedule when the term actually starts. Only 24 more days to FOOT!</p>
<p>Stop projecting. At least wait until freshman year is over before you start projecting. I’m sure the higher level math and science courses aren’t “difficult” if you can understand the concepts. By those levels, I’m sure professors aren’t trying to fail you as much as they were in the intro classes. So, you should be fine An0maly. Try and shop different classes though. You never know what you might fall in love with.</p>
<p>Intro language classes, or Intensive intro language classes, shouldn’t be too bad if you can learn languages easily. I’m sure the time you need devote to it is higher and you are learning 2 semesters-worth (which are already intense) in 1. Not sure how they compare, but you should be fine.</p>
<p>As to 5.5 credits: It’s doable, it’s allowed, but very tough regardless. Most deans recommend no more than 4.5 your first semester, and I agree with them. Some people can do more and be fine, but realize that 4.5 credits (even though it doesn’t sound like a lot) is a lot of work, especially if the 0.5 is a lab, which take up a lot of time. You might say that you can do it, might believe it wholeheartedly, might even be possible. But I think it takes a toll on you, be it by keeping you from interesting ECs you want to do or by removing you from all social life. Just be smart about it.</p>
<p>Well, no, the 0.5 is not a lab. It’s a 1.5 language. </p>
<p>Thank you all for these awesome replies. I’m happy that this thread provoked a discussion</p>
<p>I did 5 credits both semesters of freshmen year. I had half A’s half B+'s first semester and straight A’s
second semester.
My advice: start with 5.5 and mark at least one (that you don’t plan to use toward your major) as credit/d/fail. How you do in classes depends a lot on what subjects you’re most comfortable in and how much work the classes are.
I had trouble in some larger “gut classes,” in that it was hard for me to earn above a B. In high school, I was one of the best writers, but English 120 gave me a run for my money. Math was a breeze for me, hard for others.
I would shop an extra class that just sounds cool. It may well happen that the teacher of a lecture you’re planning to take drives you crazy or just isn’t what you expected, so have a back-up class.
Some labs are a lot of work, so be careful.
Also, it may seem like you have free time in your schedule, but once you also sort out sections with TA’s and office hours, 5.5 should be doable, especially if one is CR/D/F. Also, starting with 5.5 is alright, because if it’s just too much, you can drop one. A withdrawl won’t show up on your transcript until 1/3 into the semester</p>
<p>ps: I’m sharing this account with my friend, who is goin to be a freshmen too!</p>
<p>^^So I’m guessing my dean definitely won’t be approving 6 classes for my first semester- and one of them is an intensive language class- so 7 credits? Hahah</p>
<p>But if you take something as a credit/fail, and it doesn’t count as a credit for your major, what can it count for? Distributional requirements?</p>
<p>And sections, I mean I get that there are writing ones, etc, etc, and that you meet with your “section” outside of a lecture class so that you can get the benefits of smaller group discussions, but are they mandatory? And how frequently do they meet?</p>
<p>Nope, you cannot use Credit/D/Fail for distributional reqs. It’s only for classes you wanna take out on a limb and for which you’re not sure you can actually do well. There’s no way your FroCo, Freshman Adviser, AND dean will sign off on a schedule with more than 5 credits first semester. I don’t even think upperclassmen are allowed to do that without a special petition. Do not think that you can handle more than 4.5/5 credits first semester. However smart and capable you think you might be, freshman year will knock you silly. </p>
<p>Sections - bane of my existence! I hate sections. Extra time that in my opinion are completely useless. Yes, they are usually required. Do not think that because your TA seems lax and “doesn’t take attendance” that it’s not important. Your TAs and the grade for section are substantial parts of your final grade, and messing around in section will get you screwed. I didn’t go to more than 2 sections in Chem second semester and that, for lack of a better word, f**ked me over. If you don’t like sections, look for classes where they’re not required/look at seminars. I think all Intro science classes require sections though - so no getting around them if you’re pre-med or science major.</p>
<p>Oh, and they meet once a week for 50 mins. But, IMO, usually at very inconvenient times.</p>