Dumb question #1: What is the minimum number units per quarter and still graduate in 4 years?
Dumb questions #2: If you could go back in time, what courses would you take first quarter as a pre-med?
@interesteddad Depends on your major. If you’re a life science major like I am, 15 per quarter but that’s not including summer classes.
These aren’t dumb question, don’t worry. I would have taken my math, life science, and chemistry courses in my first quarter. If I could have handled it, I would have gone for my writing II class, but I think that’s pushing it because of the amount of work that class requires out of you.
How/when can I change my intended major? I got in for pre-Cognitive Science but I realized that I would rather major in Psychobiology.
@cognitivekid You can change during orientation
@Interested_Dad check out this link: http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/degreepath/majors/ It has all the guidelines for units and how it should be broken down. Extremely useful!!
@Interested_Dad LS 7A for sure! I started out with chem, but if I had to go back and do it again, I’d start with LS. The LS (bio) series is composed of 3 classes, so you can finish the entire series in your first year. Chem 14 series is four core classes, so you’re going to have to do it over the span of your first two years anyways. If you start with LS, you won’t have to have a summer in between where you forget it all!
Dumb question #3: I looked at the degree paths for several majors, including Biology. All the paths include the “ELWR” course in the first quarter of the Freshman year. The listed ELWR course is English Comp. 2, a five-unit course. What is the acronym ELWR - Entry Level Writing Requirement? If so, it appears the ELWR requirement can be met with satisfactory AP, ACT, or SAT test scores.
Here’s the dumb question: Does a satisfactory AP, ACT or SAT test score meet the requirement for English Comp. 2? If it does does meet the Eng. Comp. 2 requirement, does it also count towards the 180 unit graduation requirement (i.e., do you have to take another 5-unit class in lieu of Eng. Comp. 2)?
Thank you.
@ucla2021 My son was accepted for his 2nd choice major, Electrical Engineering- but he wants Computer Science. . It looks like it would be a full year before he could apply to change majors- I’m wondering how hard it would be for him to switch?
@atodefdj He can switch after spring quarter. However an easier switch would be from EE to computer engineering. It’s almost the same coursework as CSE albeit he will take 102 which is signals and systems. He will get plenty of CS exposure and the switch is easier because Comp e is in the same dept at EE. Ucla ee takes 3/5 lower div CS courses with the option for a CS tech breadth so he doesn’t necessarily need to switch also. Cs31-32 will be 80% of what he would need as a software engineer.
prospective transfer here. How tough is the bell curve grading scale? I’m not to aware of it, but from what I understand, at UCLA, they grade you on a bell curve where you have to be in the top echelon of students to get an A, instead of simply earning a score. I’m pre-med aswell, and that particular grading system is concerning cuz GPA is very important for us.
@Interested_Dad the entry writing req (aka writing I) can be satisfied with a passing score on AP Lang or Lit, but the writing II req can be satisfied by actually taking some sort of writing II course at ucla
@10s4life perhaps you can answer the question about bell curves? @ericbadmon is a transfer, so I can’t answer questions about upperclassmen courses sorry!
@ericbadmon Bell curve exists in almost every stem class. Most classes curve to a B- average. Obviously the top students get As but usually anything in the B range is pretty realistic
How can u keep gpa with 3.8 if the average gpa is B-?
My daughter got accepted in neuroscience. Is it a hard class? I really concern how to keep up the gpa.
@2022hkcparent Either study really hard or be super smart. I’m engineering so not really sure what a 3.8 looks like 
@2022hkcparent neuroscience is one of the “harder” life science majors because of upper division courses. Lower division ie weeder courses are the same among all life science majors. If you put in the work, achieving a high GPA is attainable:)
Thx. She plans to be a physical therapist or pharmacist. Which easy major she can think of if she finds out later she cannot take neuroscience? I know UCLA has pre med track. Any tracking for these two careers?
@2022hkcparent Pre med isn’t even a track. It’s just taking pre reqs for med school. And there aren’t that many pre reqs. Almost all life science majors cover every singe med school pre req. in fact the most common major for med school last year in the US was English. As long as someone fulfills pre reqs it doesn’t matter. That being said psycho bio is known to be the easiest life sci with Phy sci being the toughest. All the life science careers prep you for grad school or careers in the life sci field. You aren’t necessarily locked into a career as they are not pre professional degrees like nursing or engineering.
So, I am facing a dilemma. I am. hoosing between UCLA and a state school. UCLA’s tuition is nearly 3x that of te state school, so can someone give me a lot of information on the value or worth that UCLA has to offer. I know it is a great school, but would like to hear from current students of why it is so great. I need to know if it is worth that much more money and being 2,000 miles away from home. Thank you!!!