<p>I have 5's on both AP Physics C exams and on the Calculus BC (and subscore AB) exam from this past May. As a prospective course 8 major, would I be better off staying in 8.012 followed by 8.022 or moving ahead to 8.02 in the fall? Does this also depend on the math diagnostic test ? Or do the AP exam scores overide that? Also do most people with AP Calculus BC credit take 18.01A/18.02A or move directly to 18.02? Thanks for any and all advice. I'm also thinking about ESG for these courses if I can get into it. Would that be a reasonable choice for this possibility of course selections?</p>
<p>The consensus seems to be that if you can pass out of a class, then do it. So I suggest you start with 8.02/8.022. Or you can even try to pass out of 8.02 and start with one of the higher leveled classes. The AP scores override the math diagnostic because they only give suggestions to which 8.01x class you should take, and you already passed out of that. (In actuality, I never took the math diagnostic becaues it would have been useless and I was having too much fun with FLP XD)</p>
<p>If you love physics (and if you want to be a physics major), I might suggest taking 8.012, actually. You can be SURE you won’t be bored. It’ll give you a really solid base in mechanics. (Also, the physics department has a very systematic way of numbering their classes; if a class is called 8.0xy, the x is the semester in which physics majors generally take that class. So, most physics majors take 8.03 first semester sophomore year. You may think that taking 8.02(2) instead of 8.012 first semester would put you ahead, but it really doesn’t, since some classes are only offered certain semesters, or you might end up with scheduling conflicts because you’re not on the normal path.) That isn’t to say that you <em>shouldn’t</em> skip out of 8.01 if you’re tired of mechanics or don’t feel it’s interesting. =] I would probably take 8.012, though.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice and thoughts on this. </p>
<p>la montagne, I DO love physics which is why I seriously think I want to take 8.012. During my interview with my EC, he told me great stories about his times in 8.012/8.022. Also, since 8.04 is only given in the spring, I agree that taking 8.03 in the spring of freshman year doesn’t seem to really speed you along the quantum sequence, unless I passed the advanced standing exam for 8.02 and started with 8.03/8.04 freshman year. That seems a little daunting however. Any thoughts on how people have fared with doing that and/or taking 8.012/8.022 through ESG versus in the mainstream lectures?</p>
<p>My roommate did 8.012/8.022 in ESG and she loved it. The ESG physics professor is Peter Dourmashkin, who is known to be really great. The only downside I see is that there are fewer people taking it and therefore fewer people to collaborate with on homework, but as I understand it ESG is pretty tight, so you won’t have trouble finding people to work on ESG psets with. :)</p>
<p>I do know someone who skipped both 8.01 and 8.02 freshman year and jumped ahead with 8.03 fall semester (with some other physics stuff…He’s clearly course 8). He definitely enjoyed it and didn’t think not taking 8.012/8.022 held him back. But then again, he was sort of crazy at physics XD</p>
<p>Note that 8.02 is one of the easier ASEs to pass out of. I think more than 50% of the students do. (compared to the abysmal rates of 7.01x and 5.111)</p>
<p>Haha, I have a friend too who skipped 8.01/8.02 to take 8.03/8.04. However, I think that it has more to do with your math skills than your physics skills. I mean, 8.02 ASE should be straightforward, but do you have finished (really well) multivariate calculus, and ready to take 18.03?</p>
<p>I was Course 8, and I recommend skipping 8.01 and/or 8.02 if you can. I skipped both, but of course, I have no idea whether not skipping them would have been better.</p>
<p>[Advanced</a> Standing Exams Results - The Tech](<a href=“http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N37/freshmantests/ase.html]Advanced”>http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N37/freshmantests/ase.html)</p>