<p>Thanks chaolin 
but one question… do you mean to say that 5-7 days is the max for the entire year?</p>
<p>How difficult is it to get in Haas? How competitive is it? How time consuming is it to preparing for the application? Thanks ahead of time! =]</p>
<p>How would someone rank the difficulty of the core science classes (Chem 1A, Chem 3A, 3B, Physics 8A-B, Bio 1A-B)? Particulary is Physics supposed to be really easy compared to all the other classes?</p>
<p>Relatively, but it varies by individual. Some find ochem a natural fit but can’t wrap their heads around the math involved in physics. Others think the opposite - more think physics is easy. </p>
<p>Easier - Chem 1A, Phy 8A, Phy 8B
Intermediate - Bio 1B
Harder - Chem 3A, Chem 3B, Bio 1A</p>
<p>All these are relative - in some cases it is the attempt to weed out the premeds by forced grading curves, requiring mastery of subtle points to do well, in other cases it is due to cramming three semesters worth of material into a one semester course (Bio 1AL comes to mind but Bio 1A itself tries to boil the ocean).</p>
<p>How hard is Physics 8A/B compared to Math 1B? Is Physics considered really easy or is it something that still demands a lot from students similar to all the other science prereqs?</p>
<p>And would a lot of people consider chem 1a to be harder than physics 8A/B?</p>
<p>The 8A/8B sequence is pretty easy - it requires only Math 16A as a ‘pre-req’ and doesn’t use basic calculus more than a handful of times. Hard core science majors who will need physics for upper level classes would be taking a different series, such as 7A/8A instead.</p>
<p>For chem vs phys, really depends on the person as well as their preparation. Someone who took AP Chem with a 5 grade but didn’t have any special physics background might think chem 1a is easier. Overall I suspect most people think Chem 1A is the easiest. Lets see if others pop in to disagree, as it is kind of subjective.</p>
<p>So Physics still takes up quite a bit of time with labs and stuff, just like Chem?</p>
<p>not as intense at all - but yes there are labs and lab reports do complete. Fortunately, you don’t need to memorize several hundred pages of esoterica like in Bio 1AL.</p>
<p>How are the dorms? Are there tvs in the rooms? Sinks? Showers? </p>
<p>What type of beds? Desks?</p>
<p>Just curious lol.</p>
<p>dorms vary - [Living</a> at Cal](<a href=“http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/]Living”>http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/) answers most of your questions.</p>
<p>No tv, sink or shower in room, but there are sink/shower in most suites. You will have a free connection for basic cable tv and ethernet for internet access. </p>
<p>extra long twin beds and a desk for each student.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How’s Pre-Med?</p></li>
<li><p>How are the Gym facilities?</p></li>
<li><p>Is Biomedical Engineering a strong program?</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Competitive. Hard to get an A, easier to get a B.</p></li>
<li><p>Good. It’s $10 a semester for students and has weight rooms, treadmills/bikes, basketball courts, pools during certain hours, classes, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>What do you mean by strong?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hi I’m a junior transfer student. I am kind lost in how to manage and balance the study, clubs, and social life in college life. I think I should make a plan ahead, but not sure where to start. I used to be a person spend most of my time in library and study hard with little extracurricular activities. Now after a 2-year miserable and boring study life from my previous community college, I realize I should go out and join some interesting clubs to make more friends and make my college life meaningful in Berkeley. However, I am also very concerned about my study and grades here as well. So can anyone give me some advice. Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.</p>
<p>Hi. I am an international student seeking to enrol in Cal in 2011.</p>
<p>I am interested to major in either Chemical Engineering or Chemistry.
If I apply to the School of Chemistry, does this mean that I am permanently there?
I read that declaring “undeclared” is good, but I can’t do this for College of Chemistry. How?</p>
<p>Anyone can provide useful suggestion?</p>
<p>On a side note, how hard is the Chemical Engineering course?</p>
<p>How do you choose accommodation? Are there single rooms?</p>
<p>If you apply to the College of Chem then you need to declare a major on application. Undeclared is for L&S or CoE (where it’s Engineering Undeclared)</p>
<p>You <em>can</em> change within the College or transfer to L&S after admission, after your first semester, during the first ChemE course (140 in fall of soph year) etc. I know people who have done/are doing all three options. I also know Chemists who are taking 140 to see if they like it as it’s the first ‘engineering’ course, if you get my drift, so one is definitely not ‘locked-in’ into the major one applied for two years ago.</p>
<p>So if you have a pretty good idea that you want to study either ChemE or Chem, then why not do a bit of research (they are after all rather different), pick one of those and apply to CoC? If you later discover that the other/neither are for you after taking some college classes, then you can always switch (though try to avoid having the mentality of “I could always switch”, if you get what I mean).</p>
<p>ChemE has a Reputation. I’m not dying yet (but then again, I’m only a couple weeks into soph. year) but yes it really does require a lot of work.</p>
<p>When one gets admitted one gets to pick room preferences based suite/double/triple, location, price. As a freshman it is extremely unlikely (bar genuine special need) to get a single. This is for dorms - there are some frosh who live in apartments and thus obviously get to pick their own living arrangements. But that apt vs dorm debate is a whole new can of worms (:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>does anyone know how difficult it is getting into the marching band? specifically playing the sousaphone</p></li>
<li><p>also Berkeley is my reach school, but if I do get in I’d be going for English, is that one of the “easier” schools to get into?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I don’t know the answer to your first question, sorry.</p>
<ol>
<li>English, along with a bunch of other humanities majors, falls under the college of Letters and Science (L&S). It doesn’t matter which major you are going for within L&S, the difficulty of getting in is the same. However, L&S is the easiest college to get into, compared to the College of Engineering, etc.</li>
</ol>
<p>Why can’t guests sleep on the couch in the suite common rooms? I had to sleep on the floor of my friend’s room last night and it wasn’t very comfortable, haha.</p>
<p>Also, sorta related to that first, what’s up with the RAs or whatever checking the suites a couple times per day? Never heard of that before and I was kinda surprised when he just barged in at 1 am and informed me that I can’t sleep in the common room.</p>