<p>1) How practical is it to bring a car to caltech? Does it really just serve as a distraction by giving you the ability to leave the campus? I was planning on just selling my car and using it as spending money.</p>
<p>2) I must say I have a huge distaste for HASS in general (I imagine I am not alone at a school like caltech). Imho, I find it to be an over magnified form of entertainment. I'm sure many people enjoy the classes, but it is just an opinion. Anyways, with that in mind, what sort of HASS classes can I take with a more scientific focus or at least with a minimal workload?</p>
<p>Okay, that does not please me at all.
Current students: please confirm or deny. </p>
<p>I may be a geek of sorts, but I love literature, drama, and just thoughts about people and humanities in general. Will I not get this type of conversation at Caltech?</p>
<p>You will get that type of conversation if you talk to the right people. I don't think you'll have a problem meeting people interested in literature, and other humanities. You will have to put up with a lack of respect for the humanities coming from some students. I'm annoyed at times by this, but almost everyone has some interest outside of the sciences, and many of these would fall into the category of humanities.</p>
<p>Cars can be very useful. Not very many people, especially freshman, have them, so they can be a large asset. However, keep in mind the costs of having one (gas $3.70 a gallon and if you think you're going to get reimbursed for most of the driving you do, you're dreaming) and decide if it's worth it. For what it's worth, I got my car at the end of my frosh year (I'm now a sophomore), and wonder how I lived without it.</p>
<p>Don't judge social sciences by what you've seen in high school. Give them a chance, and you might like them. I've like my social sciences- they give you a look at an important part of life that you may have otherwise skipped, and make you a better, more well-rounded person. Dismissing them as "entertainment" is arrogant- no one is above learning something new.</p>
<p>(You will also confuse less people if you call it "HSS" instead of "HASS"- HSS is the name of the department)</p>
<p>Well, the purpose of the HSS requirements are so that the students can retain elements of a well-rounded education and continue reading/writing English well. I believe in this purpose and have taken a couple upper-level English (literature) courses, but I know quite a bit of people who wanted to minimize their HSS exposure and accomplished their goal. Generally, they would take a language for the advanced humanities parts and stick w/ econ for the social science requirements (which can basically become math classes). I think you might be pleasantly surprised by the classes offered. I enjoyed PS 12 with Kiewiet since it turned out to be a survey of interesting concepts/problems (eg prisoner's dilemma, brinksmanship). It looks like they even cover the St. Petersburg Paradox now: PS</a> 12 Introduction to Political Science. The only downside is that you might see the repeated prisoner's dilemma (or variations) multiple times in different Ec/PS classes.</p>
<p>My humanities and social science classes have been some of my best classes here. Although I am a pretty focused EE major, I have really enjoyed two of the HSS classes I have taken (out of three)--my introductory philosophy course and especially Anthropology 22. I love getting so involved in something like that.</p>
<p>Don't worry, there are plenty of lit. geeks here. I'm not one of them--I read all the time, but most of it is popular fiction: Patterson, Stuart Woods, etc. Just for fun :)</p>
<p>I see it as unfortunate that some people at Caltech share Jabosh's view of the HSS requirement. Luckily, I don't find that to be the opinion of the majority.</p>
<p>I've got a car here as a grad student, and it's fairly useful. A monthly parking permit is only $35, and there's tons of parking on campus (and a permit is good for all non-reserved spots on campus).</p>
<p>I don't think I would have needed it as a freshman since you'll be living in a house and on a meal plan, while I have to cook all of my meals and the car is a huge help for hitting supermarkets. Most of your entertainment will probably come from hanging out with friends here, so you shouldn't need it to get places.</p>
<p>OP, obviously there are excellent and rigorous HSS offerings, but if you really prefer to take additional science-y classes instead of Art and Literature, there are options for you. I recommend:</p>
<ul>
<li>Psychology courses cross-listed in Computational Neural Systems, such as CNS/Bi/Psy 120 and CNS/SS/Psy/Bi 102, that include programming and neuroscience components. (You will have to suffer through an intro psych course in order to count these for advanced credit, but don't worry, the intro psych courses have light workloads and there are several options - cognitive, social, and abnormal.)</li>
<li>Anything political science or econ</li>
<li>History and Philosophy of Science courses like "History of Chemistry"</li>
<li>Business Economics and Management if you enjoy that kind of thing</li>
</ul>
<p>People here will tell you who the interesting professors are (so at least a subject that bores you will be tolerable) and can recommend courses with lighter workloads if you ask.</p>
<p>Do the economics courses include a good amount of math, not the basic algebra found in an AP course? (I'm referring to calculus and diff. eq.'s when applicable)</p>
<p>I took the introductory economics course (Ec 11), and the microeconomics part was all multivariable calculus. It looks like some of the other economics courses require Ma 2, which means they want you to know differential equations and statistics. Someone who's taken one of these will have to tell you more.</p>