<p>Besides the cost, is taking a 5th year in college a bad thing? Especially if you want to pursue a double major?</p>
<p>Do you mean actually attending college five full years? I personally was ready to move on after four years. I wanted to graduate with my friends etc. Most of my friends who got sophomore standing through APs stayed four years at Harvard. They got an MA as well as a BA when they graduated.</p>
<p>Personally,l I don't understand USC's policy myself, but am allowing my S to choose his own way with the U. He did have great teachers in HS & they did cover the materials pretty thoroughly. I particularly think it's nuts that he took TWO years of AP Physics & is in 1st semester of engineering physics at USC, but I guess he has a VERY solid foundation. ARGH!</p>
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USC's policy makes no sense to me. Why not give credit for taking every class twice? I also really don't understand U's that won't give credit for courses that cover exactly the same material as the AP course. I realize using the same textbook isn't everything, but still! Perhaps part of the problem is the lowering of standards on the grading. My son went into the Physics C exam confident he'd get a 5 because of the curve. "Mom I only have to get x out of 90 mult. choice questions right, and I get way more than that correct on all the practice tests."
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<p>It wouldn't make sense, except it's not the same material at all - in particular, it's difficult to find courses at USC which mesh well in terms of content covered with the corresponding AP exam. Calculus does fit well, but they let people count that one.</p>
<p>It is a problem with the curve, in reality, you only need to answer half the questions correctly on the AP physics C exam (and leave the other half blank) to get a 5. Having a 50% in regular calculus-based physics here would probably be like a C. Not to mention there are a whole bevy of topics, like thermodynamics, covered in physics here but not on the AP, and physics here requires an extensive laboratory (whereas the AP exam does not really enforce one)</p>
<p>Besides, they do make allowances. People who have taken AP physics can take the honors physics classes here instead of regular - and the honors physics here is to AP physics as AP physics is to 5th grade physics. They basically cover like half the undergraduate physics curriculum. They have a similar honors chemistry course, except that some majors can waive chem with the AP (myself included)</p>
<p>So even though I kinda got the short end of USC's AP policy, and most of my exams went for unit credits only, I got what made sense - placement into honors physics w/ physics AP, calc 1&2 waived and placement into calc 3, intro to chemistry waived with chem AP, and computer science 101/102 waived with CS AP. Now you can't even get the CS101/102 so easily anymore since they changed the computer science AP test, now it's somewhat different from the course here.</p>
<p>I don't know--my son's AP Physics class had dozens of lab experiments & was very thorough. They did cover thermodynamics & motion, but I guess since it's a foundational class, it's good to have a solid foundation. He didn't get exempted from any of the engineering classes; he did have both AP CS A & AB, AP Calc AB & 2 years of AP Physics. Oh well, he's not complaining. He had a year of AP Econ as well & they're using the same book he used in HS & covered thoroughly!</p>
<p>Just curious, is he doing the advanced physics classes or no? Sounds like a prime candidate for them.</p>
<p>Also curious - why an engineering major is taking econ? :) We all have to take engineering economics - but I would be highly surprised if an AP econ course used an engineering economics text...</p>
<p>He's just taking regular beginning engineering physics & regular econ (as far as I can tell). His advisor helped him with his schedule & it puzzles me & hubby, but we trust that he got the advice he was supposed to. Not sure why the texts are identical from HS & USC, but that's why he brought his HS econ book back when he returned to USC.</p>
<p>"People who have taken AP physics can take the honors physics classes here instead of regular - and the honors physics here is to AP physics as AP physics is to 5th grade physics. They basically cover like half the undergraduate physics curriculum. They have a similar honors chemistry course, except that some majors can waive chem with the AP "</p>
<p>It's my understanding that freshman have to have been invited into the Honors science program in order to take Honors classes, just as the Thematic Option classes are offered by invitation only.
The Honors classes are very small, require D clearance [ I think?] and fill up very quickly.</p>
<p>the title of this thread made me laugh
I expect the Onion to use it for an article- right up there with
* The WMDs were right in front of us the whole time!
Research shows smoking helps you lose weight!
Global warming makes it pleasant to swim in the ocean!*</p>
<p>D didn't take any AP classes or tests- none were offered- she did say that initially she did feel a disadvantage because her experience was depth rather than breadth- however- I don't believe her college even offered honors courses- * everyone* had to write a senior thesis for example and to pass orals, and since her courses did go quite deeply into the subjects, her high school background actually served her quite well.</p>
<p>However, I do know students who attended larger schools and are quite happy with being able to save two years of tuition. :)
& while their universities are missing out on that tuition money- that also opens up space in the 100 and 200 level classes.</p>
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It's my understanding that freshman have to have been invited into the Honors science program in order to take Honors classes, just as the Thematic Option classes are offered by invitation only.
The Honors classes are very small, require D clearance [ I think?] and fill up very quickly.
[/quote]
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<p>They are pretty small, and do require D-clearance, but do have a bit more flexibility than Thematic Option (which is liberal arts + humanities). You can still get in by professor approval or applying to the department or the school of engineering, even if you're not in the science honors program.</p>
<p>Thanks--I'll see if he wants to consider that for fall 2007 registration, now that he has a better feel for what USC classes are like. When does registration start for fall 2007? He got 32 credits transferred from HS & took 17 1st semester, so he has 49 credits + the 15 he's taking now. I'll mention all of this to him & see what he wants to do. Thanks for these suggestions.</p>
<p>These were the registration dates for last Fall:
Calendar Fall Semester 2006
March 30-August 11 Registration for continuing students
April 21-August 11 Registration for returning students</p>
<p>So.....do you think a kid who takes the AP test, but the College Board loses her test sheet and STILL has not refunded her money from last May does better in college??? </p>
<p>; )</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but I don't get the difference between a continuing student & a returning student.</p>
<p>Quiltguru, it's inexcusable that CB didn't immediately refund the $$ for lost scores. Somehow, they should do more than that. This long of a delay is outrageous!</p>
<p>returning students are those who left the university for one or more semesters, for whatever reason, I believe. If you're currently registered for classes this spring you count as a continuing student I'm pretty sure.</p>
<p>Also, registration begins for different students at different times, based on accumulated units and class status. Since engineering majors have mandatory advisement locks, it's a good idea to have a firm idea of which classes to take about 2 weeks before your assigned registration date, to get all the D-clearances and locks lifted, etc.</p>
<p>Plus, for honors or specialty classes, they tend to be offered only every other semester - requiring a bit of forethought.</p>
<p>Sorry about dragging the thread off topic :) Back on topic, I also think it's unfair if they lost a test to not refund the money (unless they believe they can find the test in the next month or so)</p>