A LOT of scheduling questions (freshman pre-med/bio major)!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Emory University
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<p>Before about a week ago, I thought I had my schedule figured out... I was going to take Chem 141 (even though I have AP Chem credit), Math 115 (even though I have AP Calc BC credit), Chinese, a freshman seminar, PACE, and Health. Now, I'm not so sure about half of my schedule. I took AP Chem junior year and scored a 4; I got an invitation a few days ago to take freshman orgo, but I don't want to take orgo until sophomore year (I know that the orgo and physics combo, plus upper lvl bio classes will make for a difficult sophomore year, but I feel like I'll be able to handle a really tough schedule (on top of a job and campus involvement) a lot better sophomore year, while freshman year (or at least first semester), I should probably take a slightly easier schedule, get comfortable, adjust to college life, and get settled in some clubs/organizations/a job. However, now, especially after I saw a Chem 141 syllabus on LearnLink (and saw that the stuff they learned was identical to what we learned in 1st semester AP Chem), I think it'd be sort of a waste to take Chem 141 (although I have forgotten a lot of the stuff we learned in AP Chem). **Would it be possible to exempt from Chem 141, take Chem 142 next semester, wait till soph year to take orgo, and take an upper lvl inorganic chem class soph year? How hard are the upper levels (especially when taken with orgo and physics)? My only concern there is that I'd be going through 1st semester without taking any science classes (I got a 5 in AP Bio, so no Bio 141), and I'm not sure how med schools would view that. ** </p>

<p>Also, I thought I'd be forfeiting my AP Calc BC credit (I got a 5), taking Math 115/116, and then that's it... no upper lvl maths. However, I recently read somewhere that if I were to take Math 115/116, I wouldn't be allowed to take any of the 200-lvl math classes later on, even if I wanted to. I had wonderful math teachers in high school, and I got the highest grade in the class in every math class I took in h.s., and I've participated in several math competitions and done well, and it's come easy for the most part, but for some reason, I never liked it. And when I heard that med schools only required Calc I and II at most, I was thrilled. But now, I kind of think it'd be a shame if I did so well in math classes in h.s. and gave college math classes a chance. I found a Math 115 syllabus somewhere with a Google search, and it seemed to be identical to what I learned 1st semester in AP Calc... I couldn't really tell where the life science applications came in. I wanted a comparably easy 1st semester freshman year (compared to 2nd semester and soph-senior year), but I didn't want half my courses to be a mere regurgitation of my high school courses!!! So now, I think I should just take my AP Calc credit and give a 200-level math class a try (and if I end up liking it, then take more). Does anyone happen to know which one (linear alg, multivariable, diff eq) is the easiest or would be the most useful to a pre-med? ALso, I checked on OPUS, and all of those classes are full or near full (like 3 seats left). Is there any chance that they'll add more seats when the freshmen pick their classes?</p>

<p>Also, the Chinese classes are almost completely full as well, so I might not be able to take that freshman year, so I've been looking at replacement courses. The anthropology and psychology courses sound interesting. **Can anyone share their general experiences with the intro lvl courses for those subjects (professor's teaching style, workload, projects, how interesting the material was)? Also, what courses would you recommend to fulfill the continued writing GER and the humanities GER<a href="since%20I'll%20probably%20have%20to%20pick%20some%20of%20those%20should%20I%20decide%20to%20exempt%20from%20Chem%20141%20and%20Math%20115%20and%20not%20get%20some%20of%20my%20other%20class%20choices">/b</a>.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long post, and sorry if I seem crazy for changing my mind about everything at the last minute, but I'm really freaking out right now, lol. I thought I had it all figured out, but......</p>

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<p>Also, this is sort of unrelated, but how common is it for an Emory student to double major or minor (especially for a bio major)?</p>

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<p>Extremely common. As for your idea that you’ll be able to do better sophomore year. That seems to apply to everyone but science majors. Also, this idea of getting involved/settled in organizations frosh year seems unnecessary as if it will take time away from your schedule anyway. However, I did the same thing while taking orgo. and bio, and it went well (I forgot when I took AP chem). I even went to the ACS convention frosh year (and I had a job. Often you can read on the job. Many students actually even rushed sorority and fraternities. Most turned out alright). So managing orgo. and bio is not that difficult and as I did, the other person here, who asked about a schedule, I advise against taking gen. chem when given an oppurtunity not too. That’s likely automatically 1 less recommendation (they teach well, but other than knowing your final course grade, they probably won’t be able to write a good one) and you’ll weaken your peer group for handling upperlevel courses. </p>

<p>Gen. chem generates complacent students. Once they get to orgo., they seem not to want to work. Don’t take the risk of downgrading to that level, when you enter prepared for a much better experience. If you don’t like it 1st semester, there is always someone like Weinschenk second semester (you can also do something like 142-L or 260 2nd semester, and then merely take 222 w/physics sophomore year as opposed to upperlevel inorganic+physics+orgo). There are many recourses for if you don’t like it, but I highly recommend you try it. </p>

<p>As for orgo. and physics+upperlevel, seems like an okay idea for stronger students, but still 3 classes that require different trains of thought. Again, often the orgo/physics combo. induces a sophomore slump among many. Just saying. And I’m sure part of it comes from taking it “easy” frosh year. And when you need an improving trend, it isn’t good to have this happen. Frosh orgo. has its benefits in that most courses afterwards aren’t that challenging. Also, physics may be difficult to get a good rec. from (too large and kind of distant, even w/good prof.), and if you don’t get Weinschenk for orgo., you probably won’t get one either. The other profs. tend to be very distant, easier, and uncaring. You should take the frosh orgo. and do exactly what I told jonathan except adjusted for your major, etc. </p>

<p>Best to see how you well you can manage a somewhat challenging schedule (seriously, for frosh orgo. students, a math, orgo, and bio is really common, and they generally do well) w/a couple of ECs then, than to just bank on it working in the future. One of my poor friends got involved in a lot of organizations frosh year, and then got to the sophomore schedule, found it overwhelming and did not perform at the level he should. However, again, he wouldn’t have seen this coming, because it’s not like he was particularly challenged frosh year (maybe a little, but not really). To think orgo. and math hinders campus life involvement and adjusting to college life is misguided. I find the rumors about how tough orgo. is as far overblown, normally by people who don’t know how to come up w/different study tactics, which in Soria’s class, you’ll have plenty of times to do (he gives you 2 placebo tests). The course cannot hurt you unless you don’t like to study or expect an A to be handed to you on a silver platter. Hopefully, that’s not ideal, this is Emory, hopefully you expect and demand more. Don’t get too absorbed in gaming for the med. schools or it will likely suck or be less than expected (you’ll have to do hell-a-non-academics to compensate for a weak academic experience. Apparently many students at some other selective colleges have to do that, as focus on UG education doesn’t seem that strong). have the cake and eat it too, get the best education, best peer group, and the best non-curricular experience you can. Have it all!</p>

<p>As for math, no seats will likely be added. As for ease, I’m not going to recommend on ease or usefulness. If it will substitute as a pre-med requirement, it’s useful. As for ease, you’ll need to find out who is a good teacher instead. Duffus teaches linear algebra, he’s very good and not too hard. </p>

<p>Chinese: If intro. Chinese, they will perhaps add sections or open up spots. </p>

<p>No one is going to advise you on humanities GERs, simply find an interesting class and choose it. I like taking mines in the religion department for example, because those are some great teaches that stimulate thought about religion and the study of religion itself.</p>

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<p>Yes, but if you have the ap credit it’s better to take advantage of it and get your prereqs out of the way sooner so you have room for courses in your major or upper levels recommended by med school. And besides chem 142 will also be a repeat of ap chem (even though they dont give credit for it) so why waste your time? My suggestion would be to take orgo freshmen year (either 221Z/222Z or 221/222 works), and take 2 out of 3 of the following your sophomore year: analytical chem, inorganic, or chem 142, all with lab. That way you get the “hard” classes out of the way sooner and are better conditioned for a rigorous schedule down the line. Note that many med schools dont take ap credit for their prereqs so you would only be using the ap to place into upper levels, thus you need to take TWO semesters of chem other than the 2 semesters of orgo since you ap credit doesn’t really count. </p>

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<p>Probably multivariable, especially if you decide to become a BS chem or physics major, not to mention that many med schools specifically require calculus and (again) won’t take ap credit. Also consider taking a stat class. While most will take the easy 107, it seems like you’re a strong math student and w/ a multivariable background you can handle the advanced math 361 stats. And yes, math 115 is a complete waste of time if you already have ap credit and has nothing to do with life sciences.They don’t hold spots in 200 level math classes for freshmen so you’ll have do some “OPUS stalking” or ask to be overloaded. </p>

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<p>You’ll often find that it’s the people most involved on campus that will also get the best grades (unless they’re WAY overdoing it, like working 50 hrs/wk), as the more rigorous schedule, both in academics and work/ECs, tends to help improve people’s time management skills significantly and teaches how to work efficiently. With that being said, don’t be afraid to have a schedule outside your comfort zone just because a few “underachieving” premeds here tell you to take it as easy as possible just to preserve a high gpa, which in reality rarely stays high by the time you apply to med school.</p>

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<p>Collegestu: I’ve witnessed the greatest trends ever for frosh year/sophomore year transition periods. 3.5+ frosh year in easier classes/profs, weak/over-extended sophomore year (people who didn’t do as well frosh year seem to improve a lot, simply because they actually made or were exposed to mistakes, owned up to them, and realized what they needed to do). Some even have to retake a class or 2 (and not b/c of a C) after sophomore year (I remember fall semester where one poor child stopped showing up to all the classes we shared and he didn’t seem particularly depressed. He just seemed unprepared and unwilling to deal w/it). I thought my sophomore year was rough, but apparently I was complaining essentially about nothing (being a negative ned. It wasn’t great, but could have been much worse). My sophomore year looked amazing compared to some of these people who weren’t ready to work or even willing to try that hard sophomore year. Seriously, It seems like the D/F/W rate in sciences go up that year, simply because people viewed it as something that they “could easily adjust to” based upon frosh experience (which was like going on a cruise to the Caribbean to them. You should here the students in W’s class. “He knows this stuff is hard, why doesn’t he just make it easier?” Others in easier classes just blame the teacher when they screw up) . Better to know how to work it than to completely be caught by surprise.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses!!! I still have a whole lot to think about, but I’ll definitely take both of your comments into great consideration. </p>

<p>Also, on a completely non-related topic, in high school, almost all my EC’s were academic or volunteer oriented, and I didn’t really participate in sports (except swim team one summer), but I want to become more athletically involved in college. Are all the club sports competition-driven, or are any of them more recreational/open to beginners? Also, does anyone happen to know the orientation schedule/schedule for the first few days after freshmen arrive on campus? And when do students typically purchase textbooks for classes? </p>

<p>@collegestu
Would using AP Calc BC credit and taking multivariable + calc based stats fulfill the requirements of med schools that require two semesters of calculus and/or one semester of stats, or is there a chance I might run into trouble there? Also, who is/are the best professor(s) for multivariable (good lecturer/doesn’t go too fast or too slow/provides good example probs along the way; challenging, but not impossible; very accessible), and would a Calc BC background (coming from a teacher who put no emphasis on proofs or having us derive a whole bunch of equations, etc. that might be part of a college calc I/II class) be enough to do well in the course, or would it be necessary to teach myself a few other concepts to prepare for the class?</p>

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<p>Emory math courses beyond Calc. 111/112 (also, I suppose there are a solid amount of teachers doing proofs for these, as did both of my profs, but I don’t know if it is the majority. I’m pretty sure some are very cut and dry) can be challenging, but it really depends on the prof. And since they seem to rotate (besides people like Brussels who is awesome, but is w/physics apps. Is challenging so has a nice curve. Also, seems that visiting profs. are common in math). I understand that some of them lecture well but essentially spoonfeed material. </p>

<p>I’m sure that since most med. schools view calc. based stats (or stats in general) as relevant to biological/health related apps., they’ll take 361 and they’ll certainly take multivariable or Diff. Eq. </p>

<p>You can be a novice to do club sports, no one cares. They are mainly for fun, but sometimes they put a competitive spin on it. Like my frosh year, we had some of the dorms play each other in flag football.</p>

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<p>^Thanks, Bernie!!! =)</p>