<p>You can always visit the course websites and study the problem sets/midterms/finals/notes/etc.</p>
<p>And while preparing yourself for Core is an excellent idea, I think it's probably the specialized major courses that one takes sophomore and junior year which claim the most victims.</p>
<p>Which means you should choose a major that interests you and suits your strengths. (It's also a lot easier to labor over something you like as opposed to something you detest)</p>
<p>Thanks for your help! Do you have any recommendations on how to figure out which major is right for you? As I said before, I'm totally undecided - are there any other ways to figure out a good major other than what Ben mentioned (the Core and seminar courses)?</p>
<p>Try to find out what you like to do. Math 1 will help you figure out if you like math. Labs like APh/EE 9 and Ch 3 will help you find out if you like working in labs. Do you like building and designing things (Mechanical Engineering)? Do you like taking lots of classes (Chemical Engineering)? There are also menu classes in Environmental Science and Engineering, Geology, Astrophysics, and I forget if there are others. Taking Ec 11 might help you figure out if you like economics.</p>
<p>There is time to decide on major. The CORE program will expose you to different disciplines, and there is ample opportunities to try various research labs. You will work with an adviser, and if you shift majors, you can advisers too.
Loc87, believe that you would not have been accepted if you were not caltech material. Your humbleness is appealing, and something I've observed among the current students. I've yet to meet an arrogant student, and those I've met have fun as well as work.</p>
<p>loc87-</p>
<p>Talking with a lot of different upperclassmen is also helpful. They can give you a pretty good idea of what each major entails, the work/research opportunities, etc. </p>
<p>Speaking with a professor who's an excellent lecturer might also be worth a shot, although I would advise against asking the advice of some of the older or more research-oriented professors. </p>
<p>As a math major, I'll disagree with omgninja. If Ma1 was my only exposure to the subject at Caltech, I would absolutely hate the field and never dream of majoring in it. (Even overlooking the fact that Apostol is the worst textbook to learn from imaginable)</p>
<p>Ma5, Ma2b with Gary Lorden, and elective courses like Ma6 or Ma3 are probably better for gauging whether you would enjoy studying math at Caltech or not.</p>
<p>Your foresight in asking/considering these questions is already a good sign that you'll likely find an interesting niche. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help! I'm looking forward to college :D, and maybe I'll meet some of you at Caltech next fall!</p>