<p>Hello,
I've recently decided on attending UC Berkeley for the fall.
So I've been looking around the Berkeley website for classes I'd like to take, clubs I'd like to join, etc. </p>
<p>There's this one club I'm very interested in joining, but I don't really want to say in case it gives my identity away. The club is run as a class, and says that "Units: 3 P/NP".</p>
<p>What exactly does this mean? Does it count towards my 20.5 unit ceiling? If so, would you recommend taking such a class freshman year? </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do not take 20 units your first semester, number one advice I can give you. Berkeley is the toughest public university in the entire world, don’t underestimate the rigor of classes here.</p></li>
<li><p>P/NP units means, although you are awarded units, the units will have no effect at all on your GPA, and cannot be used for any major. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your schedule your first semester? I’m assuming you go/went to Berkeley. Also, my mom wants me to take the maximum units, but I’m trying to find ways to get out of it. </p>
<p>Ooh, taking maximum units can be quite difficult. Honestly, start at an easier, slower pace and increase it. I think my future schedule is </p>
<p>English 1A (After taking freaking RC/B if I don’t get a 5 on AP Lit)
Math1A
Bio 1A
Psych :)</p>
<p>Looks like the course is offered such that you can only take it with P/NP (passed / not-passed) grading. This is normally an option available for most courses, although courses for your major and certain requirements (e.g. R&C) should not be taken P/NP (unless only offered P/NP).</p>
<p>A P grade means C- or better. Neither P nor NP is counted in your Berkeley GPA, although graduate and professional schools may see it differently. Courses where you get an NP may be repeated either P/NP or letter grade if it is an option, but courses where you originally got a D or F letter grade cannot be repeated P/NP.</p>
<p>The unit count for a course offered only P/NP counts as it does for all other courses (e.g. counts toward the minimum or maximum number of units in a semester, etc.).</p>
<p>Great, thanks! I think if I take this course my schedule will definitely look a lot less hectic than it does right now when I use the SchedulePlanner tool. </p>
<p>Tip: if you really really really can’t get out of taking 20 units (please convince your mom), then you can use ScheduleBuilder to look at grade distributions, and you should also look at Ninja Courses to see which profs will assign the least work.</p>