<p>So I'm planning out my schedule for next year as an incoming freshman and I was wondering how similar AP classes that we take in high school are compared to college classes. I took a class at a community college but it was really easy and it really wasn't what I expected from a college. So would you rate it as being similar, easier, or harder. I know that it depends on the subject that you're taking but overall, what do you think?</p>
<p>Also, just throwing this in, if you are in Haas or were in the Haas program, can you provide me with some tips as to which classes to take that are interesting and that I will actually learn from.</p>
<p>As a general rule, in math and sciences, a 5 on an AP test is equivalent to about a B at Berkeley. That means, if you just barely got a 5 on an AP test, and then took a test at Berkeley on equivalent subject matter, you’d probably get a B. 4 is probably a B- or C+.</p>
<p>but how about the humanities area? I know that I’ll be focusing more on history and the likes. Is that similar in difficulty compared to what college math is to ap math?</p>
<p>Let me put it this way – Berkeley physics and math in the lower division is akin to what a <em>pretty good quality</em> high school math class would be like. The AP exams themselves are a joke. Many high schools, however, though of course not most, go well above and beyond the AP exam. If you do for instance problems similar to the challenging ones out of a book like Halliday & Resnick for physics, you should have decent training for Physics AP classes that’re actually good.</p>
<p>Berkeley exam questions for lower division can range from similar in difficulty to the more complex textbook problems to somewhat more complex to considerably more complex.</p>
<p>At least for math/science I’d say harder. I got a 5 in Calculus AP but still got pwned by Math 1B.
Just don’t assume you know the material already.
As for humanities, I’d say you’re probably in pretty good shape if you’re used to AP-level stuff.</p>
<p>If you haven’t taken AP chem, you would struggle a bit more than those who have already taken it but if you keep up with the work, you should be fine.
As for other classes, it really depends on how good your ap class was. I think the reason why I did so well in chemistry is because my ap chem teacher was sooo awesome. He made me love chemistry.</p>
<p>If you haven’t taken AP chem, you would struggle a bit more than those who have already taken it but if you keep up with the work, you should be fine. Also, there are many opportunities besides midterms and finals to boost your grade up so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
As for other classes, it really depends on how good your ap class was. I think the reason why I did so well in chemistry is because my ap chem teacher was sooo awesome. He made me love chemistry.</p>
<p>Chem 1A final for fall 2008 was the worst test I ever took in my life. It was 18 pages of confusion and rape. I still get shivers when I see soda >.<</p>
<p>Ask someone from your school because the difficulty of classes vary from school to school. Generally, classes are harder at Berkeley then they were at high school/community college.</p>
<p>… great. If only I was a privileged kid living in the north rather than south 5 minutes from the border. </p>
<p>At my school, a 3 on an AP test is good and will suffice to get your grade changed (no matter what) to an A in pretty much any AP class. Last year, I took the AP Physics B and AP Eng Lit exam.</p>
<p>AP Physics B i got a 3. Of about maybe 35~ people taking the class, most got 1-2s, while me and 2 others got 3s.</p>
<p>AP Eng. Lit I got a 2. I could have done quite a bit better, I did slack in this class.</p>
<p>This year I took the AP Gov and Eng. Lang exam, both of which I believe I got a minimal 3 on both. Not proud of it.</p>
<p>In both cases, I could have done better, but still, maybe a 4, but a 5 is pretty much an impossible standard in my school.</p>
<p>Personally, I think it really depends on the subject. Of course, they are all easy compared to the thoery heavy courses here at Cal, but AP History or politics tend to have a smaller gap than the AP sciences. Cal’s physical science course are just… well intense.</p>