<p>Hey guys.. I'm about to be a freshmen and a biology major and i was wondering if you guys have any advice for me. I'm going to orientation next week and kind of confused on what classes i should take, how many a quarter, and the best teachers for each class. I also was thinking about doing a cluster course for my GEs. Thanks.. any advice will be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>For your first quarter, I would highly recommend to take a maximum of 3 classes. Take your first quarter to adjust to the workload, meet new people, and explore extracurriculars. Don’t take 4 classes until you fill confident you can handle the larger workload. </p>
<p>In regards to what classes specifically, typically you begin with general chemistry (Chem 14A), math (math 3A,3B, 3C depending on your math placement), and a GE class. There are also the Chem 20/30 series and Math 30 series, but I would recommend to stick with the Chem 14/Math 3 series (for life science majors). The former are mainly taken by physical science majors and engineers and they tend to be harder. Chem and Math are very popular class options for incoming students, so they will fill up quickly. If you don’t get either, you can take GE classes instead. Don’t fall for the misconception that you are “behind” if you have to push back chem and math to winter quarter; you will still finish on time if you start then. </p>
<p>I can’t recommend any professors for math because they rotate very often. Lavelle (fall quarter) and Scerri (winter quarter) teach the gen chem series. While Lavelle is more calculation based, Scerri is more conceptual based. Choose one of these professors based on your strengths. </p>
<p>In regards to cluster classes, only take them if your genuinely interested in the subject. While it is convenient to satisfy your GE/writing requirement, the classes have a reputation for being tougher and having more work than a typical GE class. I’ve had many friends take clusters, but most dropped it by winter quarter. I didn’t take a cluster because I liked the flexibility of choosing different GE class topics to study. Cluster classes are up to your personal preference. </p>
<p>In addition, I would recommend to get involved on campus. From my extracurricular involvement, I met upperclassmen friends who mentored me. They provided old notes, tests, professor advice, etc. These activities are also a great break from studying. 
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<p>This is just my input. You’ll learn all that you need to know during orientation. They have counseling sessions and workshops that should answer most of your questions. Good luck and have fun! :)</p>
<p>During orientation, you’ll be placed in a group of students with similar (if not the same) majors. You can usually talk to them to see what classes they are taking, and maybe take classes together and help each other out (good way to make major-related friends!).
Usually for south campus majors (math, sciences, engineering, etc), your orientation counselor will recommend you to take 3 classes. Your first quarter is basically your ‘transitioning into college’ time. Don’t stress yourself with too much classes, take 3 classes and adjust to what college classes are like. More importantly finding your niche and meeting new people/friends.
In terms of professors (in college, we call teachers professors or instructors, no one use the term ‘teachers’ anymore), they differ each quarter for each class. Use bruinwalk.com to find your professor, read student reviews, and see their grade distributions for previous quarters.</p>