<p>^according to the course description: [Physical</a> Education Department - Tufts University](<a href=“Tufts University”>Tufts University) , freshmen and sophomores have registration priority.</p>
<p>I am most concerned with my physics course next semester. Anyone know how Physics 1 and 2 are like?</p>
<p>@ kjcastillo1990, thats weird.</p>
<p>[Physical</a> Education Department - Tufts University](<a href=“Tufts University”>Tufts University)</p>
<p>that link says:
</p>
<p>thats whats throwing me off. But if we go by your link, then i will be in luck!! :)</p>
<p>Also wondering about physics 1/2 difficulty, especially coming from someone without a physics background</p>
<p>^ I think that is outdated, considering the registration date was from 2007.</p>
<p>Yea, I’d be in luck too (I’m a rising sophomore)! Though I don’t think I will be able to fit an EMT course into my schedule since I’m probably going to be in the ROTC and I have an undergrad research thing for psychology…We’ll see.</p>
<p>
Really easy. If you have the study skills to get As in Chem and Bio you’ll have no problems with physics.</p>
<p>^^ very nice. Do you think it would be easy to double physics 1 and 2 with gen chem 1/2 in my first year??</p>
<p>my understanding is that physics 1/2 are fairly easy, and that 11 and 12 are more challenging (and are what most people take, especially engineers). I think the distinction is that 1/2 are supposed to be algebra based and 11/12 calculus based, but there still isn’t all that much calculus in 12 (I didn’t take 11).</p>
<p>nice. yeh im definitely not gonna jump into 11/12 without ANY physics background at all…</p>
<p>but again, Do you think it would be easy to double physics 1 and 2 with gen chem 1/2 in my first year?? I know tufts doesn’t recommend doubling up the first semester, but i think this is manageable</p>
<p>Bio 13 and 14 are difficult and annoying, but since the course coordinator has left and the genetics instructor has been replaced with a much younger professor (and from what I hear much better) the course is supposed to be much better now. I’ll be serious, people hate Bio 13 and 14 but with a lot of study and by asking questions from the instructors you can do well. Not to be melodramatic, but the material covered in those courses is silly compared to a standard medical school course where you will likely learn the same amount in a month or less. If you’re going to AP out I would do it from Bio 14 because 2/3 of the material is not really relevant and you can learn the evolution material far more quickly from a popular science book (I kid you not).
This is somewhat funny, but regarding the TheOldProf’s urban legend: I was in the class that Dewald did this. He’s actually done it before, but during my year people literally broke down crying during the final, the exam took something like 4 + hours, and I think I filled out two or three essay blue books of chemistry (remember this isn’t English, it was a ridiculous amount of problem solving). It’s a lot of work and maybe a bit much, but I can tell you this: You’ll know your chemistry fowards and backwards after this course. And the material I learned from Dewald served me well in all of my courses and when I did biochemical research. Sidenote: The American Association of medical colleges recently released standards urging for more biochemistry and molecular biology to be taught in the premed curriculum. Take that as you will…</p>
<p>I would try to get out of the English requirements because they are basically useless classes. Take an upper level if you really want to or take a history or social science class that you’re interested in. I strongly recommend taking Community Health 1 (all about public health) and 2 (all about healthcare systems, focus on america).</p>
<p>I took Phys 11 and I doubt its much harder than Phys 1. Unlike Chem 1 vs 11 (where the major distinction is depth into the subject material), the major distinction between Phys 1 and 11 comes from the level of math used in instruction: 11 uses Calc, as HebrewHammer said. </p>
<p>Personally, I found physics to be MUCH easier to understand with the use of calc, and I’m prettty sure that (for me) Phys 1 would have been more work. But I really like calc. </p>
<p>Also, earlier the question was raised about the prudence of pursuing two sciences during your first semester. I’ll raise an issue as yet untouched; lab science courses are a relatively big time commitment irrespective of course difficulty. Even if you’ve got AP background, even if your strengths lie in the sciences, the commitment of having a weekly lab on top of your regular classes and work is sizable. You should pursue the courses that look interesting/fulfilling/challenging to you, and I would never tell a student not to take two sciences if that’s what you want to do, but you should leave yourself, especially in your first semester, some kind of “out.” </p>
<p>Dropping a course in college is not a big deal, and the drop period first semester freshman year (meaning the dropped course won’t show up at all on your transcript) goes all the way until Thanksgiving, practically. Make sure you’ve signed up for enough courses that you can drop one if you get in over your head.</p>
<p>(Great advice in this thread, by the way)</p>
<p>I second the above regarding double sciences. I know someone who took Bio 13 + Chem 11 first semester freshman year and did not have fun at all. Up to 6 hours of lab per week + chemistry lab report + biology lab report/assignment + chemistry problem set + recitations + outside reading + lecture were quite a bit. It may seem like less class time than in high school, but you’re expected to spend something like 2 + hours per lecture studying by yourself (if you want to really learn the material). When you get to classes like organic chemistry, you will start spending much, much more time studying outside of class (sometimes problems sets + studying can take 10 + hours).</p>
<p>wow. i did not think of the double labs. would it still be rough if i postponed one of the labs to later? for example if i took genchem1/2+lab and phys1/2 withOUT lab?</p>
<p>You can take phys 1/2 without the labs, but that makes those already lame classes (in comparison to 11/12) even lamer. And you can’t make those labs up later without retaking the class, which would be silly. Also, FWIW, the labs for the intro physics courses meet every other week and are shorter than the weekly chemistry labs.</p>
<p>oh wow. okay so what do you think is a better way to go in terms of doubling in the sciences. Genchem1/2+phys1/2 or genchem1/2+1 semester of intro bio13. </p>
<p>Also i was wondering on how labs work out if a student chooses to opt out of a semester of bio using ap credit. Do you take the bio13 lab and then still need another semester of bio lab that you would acquire with the next bio class taken? Thanks</p>
<p>Some medical schools will give you the AP credit for Bio 13 if you opt out and that’s all. Others will require an additional biology class or lab. It’s very school specific, but if you do a science major you’ll be covered in terms of either case. Even if you don’t major in a science then you can still take a course like physiology or genetics and take an additional bio lab (if you have to). </p>
<p>I don’t recommend doubling up on science unless you really have a strong background. Chem 1 and Physics 1 can be ok, but you need to be ready for a ton of problem solving and exams that may fall close to one another (if you opt out of Bio 13). Each combination has its benefits and risks. Just remember that Chem 1 and 2 are offered 2x each year and so is physics 11 and 12. So you can take first semester physics and then physics 2 and chem 1. Or Bio 13 and then chem 1 and physics 11, etc. Traditionally I would say go with Chem 1 first semester, chem 2 and bio 14 the second. Follow up with orgo and major courses the next year and physics junior year. That’s a pretty typical way of doing it.</p>
<p>Wasn’t it recommended to take bio 13 intead of bio 14? I think the bio13 is more closely related to material covered on the MCAT in terms of bio 14 leaning more toward Plant/evolution type stuff. is this right?</p>
<p>I did some spelunking on the Tufts website and I found a link that lists the courses a student needs to take in order to be premed. SHABAM! [Health</a> Professionals Academic Prep](<a href=“http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/AcademicPrep/medical.asp]Health”>http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/AcademicPrep/medical.asp) </p>
<p>Other useful links for those of your thinking about medicine at Tufts: [Health</a> Professions Advising](<a href=“http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/AcademicPrep/]Health”>http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/AcademicPrep/)
[Health</a> Professions Application Process](<a href=“http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/ApplicationProcess/]Health”>http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/ApplicationProcess/)</p>
<p>The strength of the advice on these pages should tell you something about the strength of the pre-health advising.</p>
<p>^^ @ Acceptd, Bio 14 does cover some anatomy and physiology.</p>
<p>Also, to add to Dan’s post (that website really is helpful 
), Really take advantage of Carol Baffi Dugan’s (the Health professions advisor) open hours/availability for appointment and see her as early as possible. She can advise you about what courses to take, what they’re like, and when to take them, and also what kind of pre-med extracurricular stuff is out there. The sooner you meet with her the better. Why? because too many people tend to wait til it’s too late before asking for help/advice (and the open hours line tends to get SUPER long during class registration times 
)</p>
<p>If I could redo my freshmen year again, I would have taken Chem instead of Bio, if only because GenChem is a prereq for orgo</p>
<p>@ Dan, those are some great links, definitely bookmarked them. Yeah i can’t wait to meet with the pre-health advising to finish up deciding on which classes to take.</p>
<p>kj: which bio 13 or 14 do you think is covered more on the MCAT? – maybe i should just take both second year with orgo? or would that be too much.</p>