<p>Which of these classes would you pick at CalSO? I'm in EECS, so the English class is perhaps the hardest to get, I think:</p>
<p>CS 61A (Harvey)
Math 54 (Grunbaum)
Physics 7A (Zettl)
English 45A (Nelson)</p>
<p>Is this a reasonable schedule? I'm fairly competent at programming (passed AP Comp. Sci. AB), and am currently taking AP Physics C, so Physics 7A won't be completely new material. Thanks!</p>
<p>CS61A is a cakewalk if you “get it”. Be warned that 61A is all about programming paradigms- you will begin with functional programming and build your way to OOP and eventually you’ll implement an interpreter to demonstrate the universality of computers.</p>
<p>However, there is a large portion of students who struggle. Essential to this class (and all other CS classes) is a computational mind (essential for making sure your answers are correct) and an imaginative mind (essential for not only finding the correct, but most elegant solution).</p>
<p>As for 54 and 7A… GOOD LUCK. Also English 45 classes I hear from my English major friends are a lot of work.</p>
<p>Essentially you’re taking 16 units of toughness. I recommend not taking English (but if you love it…) or not taking Math 54 (you’re already two semesters ahead so no worries there). You’re going to be in a new environment and you’re going to need to make connections and friendships. Having to study 24/7 isn’t conducive to this (or to your health for that matter).</p>
<p>Also to directly answer your question: probably not.</p>
<p>I’d say it’s reasonable, quite challenging, more than the average student would take, but not impossible by any means. 61A as mentioned will provide you with a very different experience from what your AB AP would have provided you. Scheme can be very elegant and beautiful, and the entire class is just an excellent/intellectually fascinating experience if you’re willing to accept the basic precepts of functional programming and recursion. As said before, many people (even those who have significant programming experience (sometimes professionally)) find 61A to be v. hard because it forces you to think in ways that you may not every have before.</p>
<p>I don’t have direct experience with Grunbaum, but 54’s a v. interesting course if you enjoy math. 7A can be frustrating at times, (I skipped it myself, but I have friends who had your level of preparation but found the course hard). I’ve heard v. good things about 45A, it will be quite a large amount of work, and you need to enjoy writing and English in general. If you do, then you’ll love the class, if you don’t then you might not like it as much.</p>
<p>Take a seminar or two though, you’ll get to interact in a much smaller environment, and it’ll be an interesting start to your semester.</p>
<p>since we’re on the topic could someone help me decide the same thing? (which classes I should get at CalSO / phase I and which for later?) i’m also an EECS major 
but considering pre-med so i plan on taking 7A in the spring.</p>
<p>Math 53 (took multivariable at my high school last semester so it should be fairly straightforward for me. also, got 5 on AP BC test)
CS 61 A (5 on AP CS AB but i udnerstand it’s different. anyway, no big deal i hope)
Chem 1A (am taking chem AP right now)
Philo 6 (sounds awesome)</p>
<p>which should i sign up for earlier to ensure i get my choices? i’d rather have better teachers and later time slots than 8am (don’t we all?) 
thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Cool, thanks guys. I want to get Physics over with by the end of freshman year, so I’m going to keep 7A because I need it to take 7B. Is it possible to take Math 54 over the summer at some point? Assuming it is, I’m thinking about this schedule:</p>
<p>CS 61A (Harvey)
Physics 7A (Zettl)
English 45A (Nelson)
[a seminar]</p>
<p>Only 13 units, so hopefully that’s more reasonable for a freshman. The question becomes which class is easiest to get, because I can sign up for two classes + the seminar = 9 units at CalSO (maybe I’ll throw another seminar in there, too). Which of 61A, 7A, and 45A is the easiest to get? I think it’s definitely not 45A, and probably is 61A. Thanks.</p>
<p>What are the benefits of a seminar?</p>
<p>buuuuuuuump</p>
<p>Take a look at schedule.berkeley.edu to see class availability and to help decide what to sign up for first. The most important thing would be getting into the section that you want, and that should be the driving force to decide what to sign up for at CalSO.</p>
<p>I’m EECS and am currently taking Math 53 (Steel), Math 54 (Chorin), and CS 61A (Harvey). I took Physics 7A last semester (Ramesh). Physics 7A was very doable and not too difficult at all. Math 54, for me, is a bit harder in difficulty when it comes to conceptual questions or proofs, but it’s doable. 61A is easy for me because I took CS 3L in the Fall.</p>
<p>So, it seems like a reasonable schedule, though I personally would probably find that English class difficult (I hate writing essays). If that last class was just an AC course of an easy R1A/R1B course, the schedule would be just right, in my opinion. But you might excel at English, so who knows!</p>
<p>13 units is the minimum and is often recommended but from looking at some of my friends who did that, it becomes clear that it is quite possible that you may become weak sauce come spring when you take a ‘real’ load of 15/+ units. I would strongly recommend at least two more units on that schedule.
16 units is not hard, it is the standard load they want to you to have</p>
<p>12 units is the minimum for the College of Engineering (I’m EECS and am only taking 12 units this semester).</p>
<p>note: my previous comment wasn’t specifically directed at any individual, it was directed at all those who plan on taking 12/13 units</p>