<p>Are there any particular classes or teachers that one should avoid, as a first year? Specifically, I would be most interested in E-school advice. Take, for example, the opportunity to skip Calculus II. Would that be wise, or would it be more beneficial to reinforce the material?</p>
<p>Do not skip APMA 111 (Single Variable Calculus). Everyone, and I mean everyone, that I know who took APMA 212 first semester regretted that decision. Take Calc II. It won't hurt you. </p>
<p>Stay away from Pisano for any math class to take at UVA. I had Guadagni for Probability last semester, and the class was terrible. It had to be due to the course material since he did allow our final exam grade replace our lowest test grade. It also helped that he gave us a hint that half of the final's problems would be taken from the previous tests and quizzes. John Maybee is a godsend. Take him for Multivariate Calculus. If not him, take Horgan.</p>
<p>Take Gerrans for CHEM 151 period. Don't take Metcalf's lecture!</p>
<p>I don't know who is good for STS 101 in the fall, but be careful with Joanne Cohoon. Depending on your tolerance and politics, this class could be easy or insanely hard.</p>
<p>ENGR 162 is a wild card. Most professors aren't decided until the weeks before classes start. You could have a boring class that writes papers all semester, a class with a drunk that curves a class that has "A" average, or a class that forces you to build a robot in the bowels of the E-school. Pick a class that fits your schedule and pray for the best.</p>
<p>Take CS 101 or CS 101E, if you have experience with Java or C++. CS 101X is a crazy class idea that Jim Cohoon made up for students with no background in programming and teaches them to make programs more advanced than what the other sections are doing.</p>
<p>You should take Physics at another school. Trust me on this.</p>
<p>For science elective, take MSE 209 if you are going Mech, Aero, or Systems; take ECE 200 if you are going CS, Computer, Electrical, or Systems; take CHEM 152 if you are going Chem. Unless you are going Chem E, you can take any of the three previous three, BIO 201, or BIO 202 as you science electives. </p>
<p>On the HSS elective, the other CCers can give a more thorough list of professors to watch out for, in both regards.</p>
<p>Thanks for the detail, and that's bad news about Physics, at least for me (I was pretty sick during the AP Physics C exams yesterday). What is the problem with UVA's classes in that subject? Do they kill the GPA? I guess that I can hope for some 4s...</p>
<p>Definitely take 111..It's hard but you will learn a lot which can then be applied to APMA 212. I also second taking Physics either at UVa over the summer or somewhere else. Do NOT take it during the year, it's not fun and it can be a GPA killer....</p>
<p>How exactly do you go about taking a class over the summer? Within all the information UVA has sent me so far, I have yet to see that option mentioned.</p>
<p>You just have to register on ISIS and pay with a credit card. If you want to take a class at a different school, you have to get the class approved by the school in the spring semester before you take the class. Just take the class's description and the request form to the front desk ladies (Mary Lane and Carolyn Frey) and they will take care of it. Oh there is the whole enrolling in the class part, but that's assumed.</p>
<p>As for physics, my son took it at the local community college during the summer. He thought that was one of his best decisions. Just be sure that it's "University Physics" and that you take the lab as well.</p>
<p>Graduation in four days.</p>
<p>I don't mean to be dense, but how does taking a course over the summer make it more bearable, that is, if I take it at UVA? I can understand the difference if one were to take the class at the local community college, but at UVA shouldn't the work be similar?</p>
<p>Summer classes tend to be easier than their regular semester counterparts. They tend to have more laidback instructors like the tech guy from Piedmont Community College for a Digital Logic Design class. It's also a lack of stress of other classes since people usually take only one summer class per summer session.</p>
<p>how do they make physics so unbearable???</p>
<p>also, i think my tour guide told me all first year students in the e-school do a project on a professor and report back to everyone describing their style etc. true? no?</p>
<p>Unless this is a new thing that they have been hiding from me this past year, that project thing is false.</p>
<p>This could be an ENGR 162 or STS 101 project idea waiting to happen (or already has?).</p>
<p>The problems with Physics are the unintelligible professors and the tests averages as high as 40% and as low as the single digits.</p>
<p>or im dumb</p>
<p>Nice thread; anyone want to drop some advice for prospective economics / math majors?</p>
<p>For first-year engineering students, the class to avoid is the one that adds up to 18 hours. Do yourself a favor and don't try to do too much the first semester (or the first year).</p>
<p>Do take Gerrans for Chem 151. I did see quite a few students cry, some actually sobbing, after some tests. Keep in mind that there are a lot of A&S students in the class.</p>
<p>Regarding physics, it's not quite that bad -- the class average for my section (just completed) was about 62% I don't know what the average was for the final was, but I got an 80% and that was "one of the highest for the class" according to the prof. I ended up with an A+. I did see some crying in there as well. The class is a lot of work though.</p>
<p>If you are thinking about med school, the UVa prehealth advisors I have talked to strongly advise that you take your classes at one school, and not at a CC, so you should take your physics at UVa.</p>
<p>Hello, again. Just to clarify: my son's information was from four years ago, so it may be a bit 'stale'. That first-year physics had a reputation for being a 'crusher'. If you take a course at a CC, you're likely to get an A. The credits count toward UVa graduation, and the course satisfies the requirement. But, the grade doesn't get included.</p>
<p>Physics is normally done second semester first year. So, you have all that first semester to scope it out. </p>
<p>Amievil, my son double-majored in econ. He loved the major, and found the department solid at 'every position'. For undergrads, it's a great department. Be ready for some math, however. He found himself often helping out non-e-school majors. </p>
<p>Graduation in four days.</p>
<p>(Okay, it was five before. Counting is not my strong suit. I'm a theory guy.)</p>
<p>Re: taking a course over the summer</p>
<p>I have heard that some students will do this with a class so that they can devote more time to it (as opposed to taking it along with other courses during the year).</p>
<p>Enjoy the weekend, Redbeard! Congrats to your son!</p>
<p>Best reason to take hard courses during the summer: the grades don't transfer! C'mon, how did no one point that out? Many engineering, math and science courses have very, very deflated grading, and at the lower levels, they're very dry and dense. Taking them elsewhere takes pressure off of you and can only serve to help your cumulative GPA.</p>
<p>I'm taking Calc II over the summer at NOVA cause everyone says its made annoyingly hard at UVA.</p>
<ul>
<li>Don't take MATH 514 (Math of Derivative Securities) with Leonard Scott. He has a southern accent, and you cannot understand his lectures 90% of the time. He makes mistakes and doesn't want to help you in your homework/assignments.</li>
<li>MATH 132 (Calc II) and MATH 231 (Calc III) are annoying, so take them somewhere else if you can. </li>
<li>Take ECON 201/202 with grad students; they're usually easier.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you take a summer class elsewhere, make darn sure it will transfer. </p>
<p>I tried to take Differential Equations at W&M this summer, but the e-school wouldn't okay it. That class was 3 credits vs. 4 at UVa (APMA 213) and it turned out that W&M doesn't cover all of the topics covered in APMA 213.</p>
<p>So, I'm going to have to take APMA 213 this summer in Charlottesville. I want to be able to knock out my premed requirements my second year and not have to fool with math homework.</p>
<p>The e-school might be considerably tougher than A&S regarding transfer credits. I imagine that is one of the reasons they aren't guaranteeing admission of VA CC students.</p>