<p>Hey guys im an engineering major and I'm looking to take the placement exam for calc II since i only got a 4 on the BC exam which doesnt qualify for credit. Has anyone taken the placement exam here or heard about it? I've heard the Calc II class is very difficult and since I'm looking to have 18 credits on my schedule taking calc 3 (which is an easier option) may decrease my courseload. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Why are you taking 18 credits your first semester? I fully understand that students accepted to UVa are used to pushing very hard. Up until this point admission was a top priority. Something to consider is first semester is a major adjustment for every student. For SEAS students you will apply for your major in the spring. This will largely be based on academic standing. Pushing for 18credits to the possible expense of your GPA may hurt you in the long run. </p>
<p>I’m sure you’re a very strong student and don’t mean to imply you are not capable. However just because you can carry 18credits doesn’t mean you should. First semester is also a time to bond with other first year students and try out lots of clubs to find the right fit. If you are strapped for time due to a heavy academic schedule you don’t have time to really devote to your first year experience. </p>
<p>Just something to think about. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>well if i do drop a class it leaves me with 15 credits…which is actually less than the average 16. The ChE curriculum has me doing 18 credits in my 2nd semester, so I decided maybe to do it the 1st semester and take 16-17 credits in the next semester. Last year I took 5 AP’s in my school, and out of the 2 leftover non-AP classes, 1 should have been an AP class. I still found myself with lots of time on my hands to do anything i want…and I still came out of the year with a 4.5 GPA. Also UVA has that drop-out policy so if I feel I have too much workload ill drop a class. </p>
<p>@BlueIguana Thanks for the concern. Are you a student at UVA/do you have an S or D that goes there?</p>
<p>Also do you (or any other CC’ers) know anything about the Calc II placement for SEAS?</p>
<p>I didn’t do very well on my APs, 4 on Calc AB my soph year and 3 on BC my junior year. I didn’t even bother taking a calculus placement exam and just jumped into Calc II my first semester. I don’t think a placement exam is required unless you’re trying to get into Calc III. </p>
<p>Now then, Calc II is notoriously known as the toughest class you can take your first year because it is used to weed out those kids that aren’t strong enough for engineering. A lot of students say Calc III is much easier but I found the complete opposite to be true. From friends who didnt receive credit from AP for Calc II and took the placement exam for Calc III, I can say I don’t know anyone to ever pass it. I heard the placement exam is the final from Calc II the year before, which is extremely difficult.</p>
<p>I highly recommend starting with Calc II if you don’t have the AP credit to get into Calc III. Frankly, if you can’t do well in that class, you’re not cut out for engineering.</p>
<p>I feel like a lot of what I’ve said is confusing but if you have more questions or want something more specific, let me know</p>
<p>@ Verycoolkid - I have a student that will be a first year in SEAS this year. I gave him the same advise I gave you. He’s taking a university seminar (USEM) to bump from 14 to 16 credits to make the 15 credit minimum (he has lab notebooks from chem so he doesn’t have the 1 credit lab). He’ll have 5 classes including the USEM.</p>
<p>I’m sure you’ll make an excellent decision that is right for you. I just wanted to offer another point of view. Your first semester may not be the one you want to push yourself. You had a lot of time with AP classes in high school while enjoying a great deal of success. You may find the same to be true at UVa…or you may find that the classes are more rigorous then your AP classes and more effort is necessary to maintain the academic success you are happy with. It may be that a different approach is needed. If you don’t have your schedule loaded you are better able to adjust to a new situation.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you!!</p>
<p>verycoolkid, just be sure that you do not put too much on your plate, especially your first semester. remember, declaring your major is dependent upon grades, especially if it’s a highly valued or popular e-school major. the average gpa for an e-school student is about a 2.7-3.0. UVA students in their first year generally take 14-15 credits. some take 16 and some take 17. 18 isn’t exactly recommended. my sister took 17 and she had no social life and wouldn’t consider that her first year was the highlight of her college experience. i would recommend taking a USEM, just as blueiguana suggested, which can be very intriguing and do require a bit of work, but it’s a fun experience.</p>
<p>blueiguana, are you saying your son was exempted from taking a lab because he was able to show his lab notebook to a professor? do you know if that is allowed for students taking intro to bio?</p>
<p>APMA calculus 2 is a hard course, at least according to my son, who took it as a senior in high school student in lieu of the AP BC calculus offered at his high school (he had a 5 on the AB calculus exam from junior year, but couldn’t fit BC into his hs schedule.) On the other hand, he felt more secure in his knowledge of the material and how to use it in practical ways than he had after his AP course. It is, according to him, a much more thorough and in-depth class than what he had had previously. So if you’re going to be an engineer, it might be worth getting a solid foundation. And since you’ve already had calculus BC, you also might not find it as difficult as somebody coming in without that background.</p>
<p>As a faculty member with 30 years experience advising first-year students, I want to echo what others are saying about not overloading yourself in your first semester. It’s very, very common for students to overreach. Yes, you are a smart, ambitious person with a fine high school record. So is everybody else at UVA. It’s hard to anticipate the issues you might have with the new environment, your new independence, and so on. There is plenty to adjust to and to keep you busy even apart from your classes. So be conservative, and if you need a couple of extra credits to fill out your schedule, take a USEM, or a gym class, or something of that nature. You can always ramp up in later semesters after you have your bearings.</p>
<p>@ azarap - My son has the option of presenting his AP Chem lab notebooks for review to a UVa Chem professor for review. If they are deemed acceptable he will receive exemption (not credit). He feels good about this option, is willing to take the chance, and add the lab if necessary next semester. I have never heard of this option for Biology. If you are a SEAS student and are in doubt I would call Thornton Hall. The two women that work there are amazing and know absolutely everything!</p>
<p>I have to say I was always a parent that supported my kids instinct to push themselves. Why not, they were totally capable. It was through reading advise generously given here from cc members like jingle, hazel, and others, that I learned of USEMs and the better route of going easier your first semester (as if any 5 classes could be easy!). As independent as he is my son still needed me to tell him it was okay to step back this semester and take the USEM as opposed to a science elective that would have put him at 17 credits. I have every confidence that he would have done fine, but that doesn’t mean that it would have been the best thing for him. A seminar is a smaller class which will be a good contrast to some of his larger classes, that may not stress him as much and take as much time outside of class. He needs to respect it and do the work, but it is a better fit for a first semester.</p>
<p>Average eschool GPA is about a 3.1, and if things have changed since 2008 it is inflation not the other way around as evidenced by the statistics on intermediate honors
[UVa</a> - Undergraduate Grade Point Averages](<a href=“http://www.web.virginia.edu/iaas/data_catalog/institutional/data_digest/acad_gpa.htm]UVa”>http://www.web.virginia.edu/iaas/data_catalog/institutional/data_digest/acad_gpa.htm)</p>