Comments on Engineering Schedule? (I know.. it's a bit ambitious)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>I don't know what else I should pick/drop. I'm not sure what engineering I want to do...I'm looking into ORIE/Business stuff/Chem/Comp Sci...which is a whole bunch of stuff, so I guess I'm not sure at all. </p>

<p>I also have a good amount of credit coming into Cornell (27 currently, 39 if I pass my 3 CASE exams), so I'm planning to skip out of a FWS and some introductory classes. And, does a 5 in Lit get me anything? </p>

<p>Also..out of all these subjects.. chem is by far my best imo, the rest I'm OK at. </p>

<p>Here's my schedule that I just picked:</p>

<p>Schedule</a> for Fall 2011</p>

<p>Chem:</p>

<p>I have a 5 in AP Chem, and I'm looking to take the Chem 2080 CASE exam. I've heard it's difficult, but I don't think it can be too bad. And, the reason I'm looking to take Orgo is because I'm already getting credit for Chem 3000 (Quantitative Chemistry), and I've studied some Orgo in prep for chem olympiad/science bowl stuff. </p>

<p>Econ:</p>

<p>I've never taken any Econ courses/have any experience with Econ stuff before, but I need to finish Micro and Macro before freshman year in case I have to transfer (parents..). Any comment on how difficult Microeconomics will be compared to 'Intro to Micro'? I'm pretty good at math in general, if that makes any difference.</p>

<p>Math:</p>

<p>I have a 5 in BC, and I've taken Multivar 2nd semester in senior year. I'm looking to take the CASE exam for Math 1920 (not sure how difficult it'll be). I've also done half the Diffeq curriculum through MIT OCW, and I plan to finish by the end of August, so I'm hoping that might help if I do pass and get to take 2930 first semester. </p>

<p>Also, I really really want to try and take Math 4220 next year, but I don't think that will be possible with the 2940 prereq... I'll try and talk with the prof about it. Only reason is because I'm doing an intensive research program over the summer where half the summer I'm researching Fourier Analysis (DFT,FFT,FT, Gibbs Phenomenon, Radon Transforms, Laplace Transforms, etc.) and the other half is devoted to taking apart Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem (Number Theory, Galois Theory, Taniyama-Shimura, Elliptic Curves, etc.). I also have some background in Complex Analysis from studying for math competitions. Is there any possible way I can do this? (advice from anyone who's a math major?) I get pretty excited about math stuff (sad, I know), but it's the only class I'd take even if it didn't count for any credit or anything.</p>

<p>Physics:</p>

<p>I have a 5 in C: mech, and I plan on taking the 2213 CASE Exam (not sure why I didn't take C: E+M...seems a bit silly in retrospect). Assuming I pass it, is there any reason I should be taking Physics III? (I feel like I should take some sort of physics..)</p>

<p>Comp Sci:</p>

<p>I could also take the CASE exam for this, but I think that would be too many exams to prep for. I think I'll stick with this class regardless, seems like a class I could benefit greatly from.</p>

<p>PE:</p>

<p>Might switch to Intermediate depending on how advanced 'advanced tennis' actually is.</p>

<p>So, am I looking at a schedule that will make my first semester a living hell, or will it not be that bad with some motivation and effort? Also, I will probs need to talk with some profs about doing research (for the RCPRS thing), and I'll be simultaneously studying like heck for the Putnam exam. With all that in mind, will this be feasible?</p>

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<p>If you’re the kind of student that can miss all the non-required lectures, self study, magically understand everything from textbooks without further explanations and perform on exams, you’re good to go for diff eq, physics waves and micro econ. Most of the diff eq profs here do a terrible job teaching so most ppl learn it from peers or from the TA discussion sessions. Waves is similar but the profs are better at teaching it. Micro econ is pretty simple but will do terrible things to your GPA if you completely underestimate it. </p>

<p>Matlab is a completely logical language since it’s used for step by step computations as opposed to Java which requires the compilation of code. The coding projects required for Matlab are all very easy IN RETROSPECT but often take quite a bit of time to get it right the first time around. The exams are again do or die since you’re required to write code for a specific scenario on paper, without tools for debugging.
If you’re interested in comp sci, Java is the way to go. Matlab is more of a huge computational tool but it does not inherently provide you with any insight to how “coding” really works in mainstream media. Also, advanced compsci classes require Java.</p>

<p>I’ve never taken orgo but it’s the class I hear bio/cheme/premeds btch about the most. </p>

<p>Where’s your intro to engineering class? I’m pretty sure there’s no way to get out of it. I suppose you’re taking in the spring then?</p>

<p>The avg eng fresh takes 15/16 credits first semester. 21 is doable with effort. 23 is the credit cap. Any more than 23 though, I feel that regardless of who you are, things will begin to slip. I have two close peers who’ve done 31 and 28 credits and their GPA’s took a small hit afterwards (~3.8 for a lighter semester to 3.45 for the overloaded one). Lack of sleep eventually catches up to you.</p>

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<p>If you are a RCPRS scholar, then set aside 10-15 hours/week for research work depending on what you end up doing. Plan your schedule accordingly. In the first semester you will spend a lot of time talking to a lot of faculty to identify the right fit for you. From second semester you will start your work and may even be assigned an independent research project right away. From experience 2930 is an easier class than 1920 provided you have the prereqs. 2080 is hard to challenge and pass. Orgo is one of the toughest sequences at Cornell. Orgo is way beyond what you at chem olympiad. You will end up spending a disproportionately longer time earning those credits provide they admit you on the basis of your 2080 challenge. For PE, unless you passed the swim test you be required to take that class. 2213 is passable provided you study hard. AP credit waives 1112. Why take ECON 3010? Whats your major? You could take your second FWS and an ENGRI class instead of Orgo and ECON.</p>

<p>Overall it is a very ambitious schedule especially when you will end up committing 10-15 hrs/wk on RCPRS and getting adjusted to campus.</p>

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<p>I’m not worried about the profs at Cornell perse, I’m just wondering how hard the diffeq course is in general. I will have completed the diffeq course by the time cornell starts, so I’m hoping that’ll help me out. I’m more worried about micro econ…can you expand on what you said? Like is it just a lot of work or is it hard to understand or is curved harshly or is the prof really bad, etc. </p>

<p>For physics, I don’t want to take a Physics class if I don’t have to. Assuming I place out of 2213, is there any reason that I should be taking Physics 2214?</p>

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<p>I’ve had experience programming in C++, C#, VB, HTML, LaTeX and some Java (still working on that)…so I’m not completely new to the programming field. I’ve heard matlab is more useful for engineers, though? </p>

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<p>I was planning on taking that 2nd semester, should I move it to first? or that does not matter much? Also, how hard are any of these intro to engineering classes? The description doesn’t really help much.</p>

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<p>31 credits??! How the heck do you manage that…unless they’re some kind of genius. I’m sort of used to the lack of sleep since I overloaded senior year…but I’m guessing college ‘lack of sleep’ is much different from highschool ‘lack of sleep’</p>

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<p>I’ve never taken any Econ courses/have any experience with Econ stuff before, but I need to finish Micro and Macro before freshman year in case I have to transfer (parents…). Any comment on how difficult Microeconomics will be compared to ‘Intro to Micro’? I’m pretty good at math in general, if that makes any difference.</p>

<p>Microeconomics is a bit more mathematical than Introductory Microeconomics. Supposedly, 3010 is designed for engineering and science students, but I wouldn’t follow that absolutely. 1110 should fit just fine if want simply want an economics requirement. Economics itself is quite conceptual and shouldn’t be terribly difficult.</p>

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<p>Woops, crossposted with 2coll…</p>

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<p>Yep, I’ve been used to the 10-15 hours a week for quite sometime now, so I’m hoping that won’t be too big of a change. So, judging from what you said, if I were to overload, I should do that 1st semester and “relax” second?</p>

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<p>I feel the same way as I’m working through the MIT OCW stuff…yeah, I don’t think I’m that worried about the math classes anymore.</p>

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<p>Is it difficult to pass the swimming test…? I was under the assumption it was pretty easy.</p>

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<p>I guess I might as well get this cleared up, and this seems like a good time to do it. <a href=“Note:%20what%20you’re%20about%20to%20read%20might%20be%20the%20silliest%20thing%20you’ve%20heard/really%20immature”>i</a>.* So I guess I, like many other 16 year olds out there, have the notion that making money is the most important thing when you grow up, and to do that, I need to either become a doctor, become an IBanker/anything business related, or do something compsci related (which is completely wrong, I know, but I can’t seem to get that out of my mind). And on top of that, I keep being heavily pressured by parents to transfer out of Cornell (apparently they think it’s not prestigious, which is complete garbage in my opinion, but since they’re paying the bill, I can’t argue much about that) to another college. If I do leave Cornell, I’ll most likely end up doing something Business/Compsci related, so I figured since I like math intensive stuff, I might as well take ECON 3010 as opposed to Intro to micro. </p>

<p>As for the major question, I’ve always like chemistry and that’s the only subject that comes to me easily, the rest are blah. But, because of my thoughts/parent pressure I’m trying to do something business/compsci related. Now, I do love math and programming a lot, but it doesn’t come very easy to me. So, I’m still thinking. /childishness.</p>

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<p>I could…but doesn’t that mean I’d have a very difficult course schedule 2nd semester?</p>

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<p>IMHO, for the first sem go with 12-14 credits and get used to the place. Figure out whether you want to be a ‘spreadsheet warrior (IB)’ or save lives first. To be a spreadsheet warrior you really do not need ECON 3010. You could get a IB internship/job just with an engineering degree. To go into medicine, you need to take the chem 3570/3580 and lab sequence not the 3590 as a premed requirement. Go to cornell career page and download the pre-med requirements and try to fit those classes into your schedule.</p>

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<p>Like I said, if you’re not worried about having someone teach you stuff, diff eq won’t be difficult at all for you in terms of material. However, to get the grades, you HAVE to perform on the exams. </p>

<p>The stuff covered in microecon is by nature, simple. However, since it’s such a widely studied subject, many professors will pick a random textbook as a base but then teach you based on their own methods and analysis procedures. While consistent, the methods required on the exams might be slightly more difficult that the ones addressed in the textbooks and that’s what I mean by underestimating the class. Micro econ is I believe not curved (as most courses tend to be outside of engineering). </p>

<p>2214 is only a definite requirement for SOME of the engineering majors. Since you havent decided, browse the engineering handbook for the majors you’re interested in and see if you need 2214 or not. Careful though, as some majors list 2214 as a suggestion only. </p>

<p>matlab is used for all sorts of data analysis. It’s used heavily for SOME majors since it’s so powerful for straight up integration and system modelling. For compsci and ORIE though, Java is used much more extensively.</p>

<p>The intro to engineering classes aren’t terribly difficult. Unless of course, you end up taking the intro to CHEME one. That’s the only intro course that I’ve consistently heard ridiculous things about. I suggest taking a random intro to engineering course, outside of your intended major so that you get a broader understanding of the engineering discipline. Taking the intro to your major will introduce redundancy to your later classes, which is not worth your time. It doesn’t matter when you take them, but if Orgo is as horrible as everyone makes it out to be, and you find an intro course that interests you in the fall semester you might want to consider swapping those.</p>

<p>31 credits isn’t all classes. Some of them were research credits, which you would be doing. 10-15hours a week is usually expected for 2/3 credits of research. My friends also had “help” from me lol. Genius, no. Effort and intellectual talent yes. Like I mentioned, they understand material from the textbooks with just a bit of help from peers and even if they don’t fully understand, they performed on exams.</p>

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<p>kinda off topic, but how did you find out the time slots for all those courses? Where do you even select courses? I thought it was not open yet</p>

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<p>Yes, this is all based on past timings on schedulizer. From experience, some timings may change in the student center come August.</p>