<p>I am officially enrolled for Autumn Quarter 2012! So, I know that I will sign up for classes during my A&O session (I am going June 28-29th). I'm needing advice on what to take! I already have credit for Math 124 but that is all. Do most freshman take FIG's? If so, can someone please give me some info for the class selection/class load/"theme" of the cluster of classes? The website does not give any information, and it won't open until June 19th. </p>
<p>If I weren't to take a FIG, how many classes does a normal freshman take? I don't want to be overwhelmed, but I don't want to just skate by either. There are so many choices too! What did some of you take freshman autumn quarter?</p>
<p>If you can, do Early Fall Start (EFS) where you will take one course and then you can either take one class with a FIG or two classes and get your footing as to course load. EFS is 5 credits and you can then take the 2 credit FIG and one other class or two other classes and still have 7-12 credits during normal fall instead of 15. That would be good.</p>
<p>Are you URM? I don’t remember. If so, Math 197 at the IC is great for your core sequence of Math.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how many FIGs are open but they’re almost always full. I found that most people I met were NOT part of a FIG, but that was just my experience. Some themes include prelaw, business, engineering, premed (basically taking basic prereqs).</p>
<p>Check out the website when it opens up, there are a TON of choices.</p>
<p>“Normally”, a person takes three 5-credit courses, or 15 credits (you need 45 a year to graduate in 4 years assuming you don’t take summer quarter and come into UW with zero external credits). Most freshmen would probably take 3 intro courses unless they are “advanced” (ie Running Start, already in major and taking upper division - these are a rarer cases). </p>
<p>I personally took CHEM 142, CSE 142, MATH 124, and 2 seminars (Honors 100, CSE 190 for direct admits) - so 17 credits.</p>
<p>Question for you:
-What are YOU interested in studying?
-Do you have any general idea of what you want to major in? Or definitely not want to major in?</p>
<p>@XaviFM: I really wish I was able to do EFS, but unfortunately I cannot! I am not URM, but am still deciding if I want to take a math course my autumn quarter. I just took my AP Calculus BC test today, so hopefully I can gain credit for some more math! I definitely need to get my footing with the course load, and also the fast paced nature of the quarter system. Any tips?</p>
<p>@speedsolver: I will definitely check out the FIG website when it opens, and see if any catch my interest. I was admitted as a “pre-science,” meaning I know I want to major in science, more specifically biology, but I don’t know exactly what inside biology, if that makes sense. I want to dabble in a few courses that are science-related in order to more narrow my interests. And, thank you for the info about credits, I will most likely shoot for taking three 5-credit courses.</p>
<p>Dang, missed your A&O by two days!! I’m going the 25-26th haha. I took the BC exam today too and depending on how you feel, I would just try to schedule the class you think you’ll be placed in based on your previous AB score and how well you feel. speedsolver or maybe someone else told me in another thread you can always change your schedule after A&O online and it’s easier to switch out of a class than try to switch into classes such as intro level calc/econ/biology etc.</p>
<p>@MAnde13: Yep! It totally makes sense that you don’t know exactly what you want to study yet! </p>
<p>So you can sign up for the first intro bio course (180 … assuming it’s not full already, lots of premed people taking it after the chem series) without other prereqs, but if you want to take 200, etc … you’ll have to take chem 142 before that. The intro courses are prereqs that will open out a lot of other classes (ie. microbio, zoology, etc) that you can take to figure out your interests later!</p>
<p>@ghuskies: Yeah it’s easier to switch out than switch into classes such as intro classes that a TON of freshmen are going to take (pre-med, pre-eng common classes, especially!).</p>
<p>Some classes, like Chem 142, CSE 142 fill up by mid to late July (there are engineering specific A&Os too … that’s a killer for registration). Math you generally don’t have to worry about because MOST people are waiting for their AP scores and haven’t registered for calc… but once those scores come in and are updated into your myUW account, register ASAP!</p>
<p>Note: You can register up to 19 credits until September when class starts … so if you want, register for 19 credits! Drop something whenever you want. You can change your schedule freely (up to 60 changes per day before you’re locked out until the next day) until the start of the 3rd week of the quarter (October, for autumn quarter) when you’d have to pay $20 for each 24 hours worth of changes.</p>
<p>@speedsolver: Thank you so much for your help! I will probably sign up for the next level math class that I apply for (I got a 4 in AP Calc AB, and I have to wait until July to get my BC score back). If I end up qualifying for a higher level due to my BC score, then would I be able just to drop that first math class and add a more difficult one? Then I will do Bio 180, if it’s open, and then an Intro to Writing or something along those lines. If Bio 180 is full, what is another class that will open doors for science, yet won’t overwhelm me first quarter?</p>
<p>@ghuskies: Aww! I guess I will miss you by a couple days! I want to hear your classes before I leave for my A&O!</p>
<p>Thanks speedsolver! I’m going to bake you a cake for all your help someday…</p>
<p>@MAnde13- Yes I will let you know what I sign up for! I’m still confused how everything works and how the direct admit program for Foster works but I guess I’ll know soon enough. It’s in less than 50 days!!</p>
<p>@MAnde13:
Yes, you can drop the first math class and add the more difficult one (assuming there are spots open that fit your schedule). Otherwise, talk to the professors and see if they can overload you to the class (usually they can unless it’s a lab class where people need a work station, ie chem).</p>
<p>Intro Writing - If you’re thinking about composition (ENGL 111, 121, 131), I believe almost all of those courses for the fall is FIG only, except for maybe a 6:30pm class (friend did that last year).</p>
<p>BIOL 180 Option - You can always take Chem 142 (beware of who your prof is though, curves get a bit crazy because of all of the pre-health people taking it in the fall). Chem 142 will open up BIOL 200 for you later and you’ll have to take it anyway, so might as well get it over with if BIOL 180 is closed!</p>
<p>ghuskies: :OOOOO You should teach me how to bake a cake instead! I can’t boast any baking skills, but I can cook a nice dinner! (or so I’d like to think). I always tell people that cooking is like chemistry except you can (usually) eat whatever you end up making.</p>
<p>@MAnde13: I forgot, the EOP is also for people whose parents didn’t go to college. So basically it’s a federal program in which several Math professors and Ph.D Candidates work in an office in the west campus and you sit around and hang out with cool peoples and do HW in a safe, friendly, collegial environment. IMO it is a lot better than the Math Study Center because (1) it’s not hot as hades like the MSC and (2) you get to know people who actually teach the courses (sometimes as adjunct at UW Bothell or Tacoma).</p>
<p>But, whether or not you enjoy sitting in the collaborative spaces in the Allen Library Annex or whether you prefer to hang out in a spare classroom in Denny Hall (both cool places depending on if you have a professor that’s cool with you being in Denny lol) it is really important for you to find places that you ENJOY studying. </p>
<p>I’m going to second Xavi’s comment about finding a place to study where you enjoy studying at.</p>
<p>Find somewhere that you can get into the “zone”, possibly a place that not a lot of your friends will frequent in and out and say hi to you (too social for studying, sometimes). Find somewhere you’re comfortable and am willing to stay for hours at a time. It makes a difference!</p>
