Hello, I’m an incoming freshman at Berkeley: I recently started to try to fill out the Schedule Planning form on the L&S Academic Planning Program and I’m getting a little bit overwhelmed with all the possible class choices and the general complexity of class registration. I don’t exactly need anyone to spoon feed me a list of four classes to take, but some general advice would be much appreciated! Specifically, a few questions:
- Do I need to wait for my AP test scores from my senior year to come out before registering for classes with prerequisites that can be satisfied with certain score? For example, if I want to take Math 53, should I say that I intend to take Math 1B instead as an alternate course if I don't get a 5 on the BC AP exam (score comes out in July) and thus fail to gain the necessary subject credits to bypass 1B?
- Is anything I actually say on this online orientation form binding? Does my "planned schedule" go to the advisers that I'll meet with at CalSO?
- How difficult of classes should I be taking? I know I plan on taking at least one math course (major requirements) and some kind of R&C class (more below), but I'm wondering if it's possible to simultaneously take Math 53 Multivariable and Math 54 Linear Algebra / Differential Equations without dying in my first semester. (On the same note, would anyone recommend that I take both Math 1B and Math 53 Multivariable in the case that I don't get a 5 on the BC exam since I've already done a lot of the 1B material in high school?)
- Is there any real difference between different R&C sections? From what I've heard, the best strategy is just to look for whichever professor has the easiest grade distribution.
- Is there a recommended order in which I should complete my breadth requirements? Or should I just sign up for whichever classes interest me while also fulfilling those requirements?
Answers to any one of these questions would be greatly appreciated!
Intended major(s)?
Math 53 and 54 can be taken in either order, or simultaneously. Note, however, that Math 1B contains some introductory differential equations material that may not have been covered in your high school calculus course, so you may have to self-study it before taking Math 54. See note at the bottom of https://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/ap-exams .
You may want to try the old Math 1B final exams to check to see how well you know the material before taking Math 53 or 54.
https://math.berkeley.edu/courses/archives/exams
https://tbp.berkeley.edu/courses/math/
Some departments that offer R&C courses have web sites with instructors’ reading lists or class themes (more detailed than what the department name may indicate. If you can, choose a course where the reading lists or class theme looks interesting to you, since you will be more motivated to read the books and understand them well enough to write about them.
You need not take the 7 course breadth in any particular order, but you can first check which categories are not automatically satisfied by your major’s courses, so you can prioritize them. Some courses can fulfill one of several categories, so taking them could give you flexibility in choosing later breadth courses.
Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to look at the 1B exams. I’m an intended applied mathematics major. I think I’m set on a schedule: does a schedule of Math 53 Multivariable, French R1A (R&C Req), Nutritional Sciences 10 (Biological Sciences Req), and History C187 (Historical Studies Req) seem manageable?
Thanks again-- you’re always a huge help on this forum!
You may want to make a list of alternate courses in case the ones you are interested in are full.
Presumably, your area of application for math is not mathematical or computational biology or some such, right? (If it is, you will probably be taking some biology courses for that.)
Yeah, I have a few alternates as well (Spanish R1A, Psychology C19, and Philosophy 138). And no, definitely not into biology (took that class once in high school and hated it haha). Thank you for the advice!
Different sections of a department’s R&C A course may have different instructors with different reading lists and themes.
Looks like French R1A with Z. Burris has the following descriptions:
http://french.berkeley.edu/courses-category/2016-fall/
http://french.berkeley.edu/courses/topics-tba-please-check-back-in-late-april-2/
The Spanish department does not list any R1A descriptions on its web site.
The English department has lots of different instructors’ R1A descriptions:
http://english.berkeley.edu/course_semesters/34 (click on Courses)
Since AP scores come out after many of us register for classes, would it be okay to assume that you got the necessary credit and then not sign up for classes that you would be exempted from.
For example,
Calc BC - I I were to get a 5, I could skip Math 16A and got to Math 16B
IB Lit - If I get a score of a 5,6,7 I could be exempt from R&C requirement.
Or would it better to sign up w/out making assumptions and then make necessary changes later