<p>Albert - I took Intensive Chinese without any reading/writing experience and I'll agree that it was a lot of work. We spent 6 hours in class each week (5 hours of speaking practice and 1 hour testing), and were expected to write weekly essays, attend individual sessions, and learn 50-100 characters outside of class. The course definitely covered a lot though - I think the final count was 1,500-2,000 characters, and the instructors also emphasized pronounciation and grammar structures. </p>
<p>Weasel - have you done math proofs before? It seemed like people who had worked a lot with formal math didn't find the course difficult, while the people who had no proof experience had a much harder time (of course, this is just a generalization). The class moves along at a certain pace, and it's kind of sink-or-swim. I'd guess that the same is probably true for many honors math/science courses (including maybe orgo). I got to experience both sides of it - 215 was pretty straightforward for me, but I hadn't seen enough physics to be comfortable in the 105 course, and I screwed up spectacularly on the first couple exams and had to work extra hard to dig myself back out.</p>
<p>It seems like most people band together early on and tackle the problem sets in groups, which helps. If you're able to find a copy of the textbook (Rudin - Principles of Mathematical Analysis), that'll probably give you the best idea of what to expect. I think you can also find some of the old tests and stuff online.</p>
<p>Fall 06:
MAT 104 Calculus - Not bad, but terribly boring lectures.
COS 126 Intro to Comp Sci - Very difficult for someone, like me, with no CS experience
SPA 108 Advanced Spanish - Placed here via summer placement test. Most was simple review, but I still managed to fail a test :)
PHI 201 Introduction to Logic - I kept falling asleep in lecture. This class isn't bad if you keep up. Once you fall behind, you're doomed like I was. I got a C+ on the final.</p>
<p>I hated fall semester. I had a miserable time. I was involved in too many things and didn't really have a lot of friends because pton gave me a single room and I'm super introverted. yay!</p>
<p>Spring 07:
MUS 104 Making of Music: Basically a song writing class, but it was fun and easy. Probably because I am a "musician" of sorts. But, even nonmusicians liked the class. You listen to popular music in lectures. Every time.
COS 217 Intro to Computer Systems: I don't know why I kept telling myself that I could get that certificate in computing without prior experience in CS. This class was hard as hell, but made bearable by my preceptor Bob Dondero (if you take the class, get him, because he is amazing). I got A's on all of my assignments because I used days to work on them, but basically failed my exams, so I got a frigging C+ in the end.
WRI 176 Archaeology of Sex and Gender: Super interesting. I'm not a writer at all, but I really enjoyed this class and did reasonably well in it. It's one of the required writing seminars, by the way.
HIS 343 Civilization of the Early Middle Ages: I don't do well with history classes, and I tend to avoid them, but I took this to fulfill the requirement. I actually liked it to some degree, and it's really not hard to do well in it. I actually never dozed off during lecture, which I am apt to do.</p>
<p>I don't have a clue what I'm going to major in, by the way.</p>
<p>W0mbat, we proved just about everything we were taught in my calc class, but there's a difference between watching the teacher do something and then doing it yourself. I've been working the easier USAMO problems to try to improve my skills.</p>
<p>Fall '06:
MAT203 Adv Multivariable Calc (NOT a good idea-- see below)
PHY103 Mechanics
COS126 Intro to Computer Sci
MUS105 Music Theory I</p>
<p>Spring '07
MAT202 Linear Algebra
PHY104 Electricity and Magnetism
WRI101 The Animal Mind
FRS136 Wildlife, Wilderness, and Development in the American West
MAE222 Mechanics of Fluids</p>
<p>as you can probably tell, I'm an engineer (MAE baby!). i'd already taken college-level multi and could have passed out but opted to take the advanced version instead-- biiiiiiiig mistake. this class kicked my butt, and i could easily have passed MAT201 with flying colors and met the requirement for BSE. I really liked PHY103-104 (also required) but then I had a great preceptor. I didn't find COS126 difficult (it was basically an intro java course), even though I had zero programming experience, but a lot of people thought it was really hard. I took MUS105 as a requirement for the music certificate-- if you take it, be prepared to write and transcribe a TON of bach chorales.</p>
<p>My writing sem was great but the prof is on sabbatical this year, sorry. My freshman sem was cool-- it was kind of a wildlife conservation class, which was interesting, and we got an amazing (free) trip to Yellowstone out of it. MAT202 is easily the most boring and useless class I've ever taken. Fluid mechanics (aka "Pipes") was fun and easy, and the prof is absolutely incredible. It requires no previous engineering experience and is easy, but beware-- the curve is nonexistent. Messing up one homework + missing one question on the final took me from an A+ to an A-.</p>
<p>some thoughts-- there will be a lot of pressure to take a freshman seminar, but don't take one if you're not interested in the topic. Also, take courses outside your major instead of just trying to fill prereqs and certificate requirements. my writing sem and freshman sem (the only courses i took freshman year that weren't required for my major or certificates) were probably my favorite classes the whole year.</p>
<p>p.s. the emp sequence is pretty cool but really hard, my roommate took it. the hum sequence is also incredibly difficult but rewarding-- my other roommate took that :)</p>
<p>First Semester:
EEB/MOL 211 - Biology of Organisms (Can place out with AP Bio, but won’t)
SPA 108 - Advanced Spanish (depends what I can place into)
Writing Seminar (if I get it)
ECO 101 - Intro to Macro</p>
<p>On a slightly unrelated note… do any freshmen at Princeton do science research to buff up their resumes for, say, a summer internship? Do professors take on freshmen in the first place?</p>
<p>yes. i’d be lying if i were to say that doing research wouldn’t look nice on one’s resume, but many students do it because they enjoy research and/or are looking into a possible career as a researcher. i personally started neuroscience research as a freshman and it was pretty simple. i asked a professor whose research interests were in line with mine and i was offered a position soon after. having that research position, im sure, has helped and will help me along the way.</p>
<p>MAT 215
ECO 100
ELE 201 (a great STL for those interested in something besides physics and chem)
WRI 178 (possibly the best class I’ve taken at Princeton. The professor now teaches Music and Power)</p>
<p>MAT 217
MAT 218
FRS 128 (about the meaning of life and truth and whatever else. Cool class)
COS 126
COM 206 (baby HUM)</p>
<p>Freshman fall, I spent almost all of my time on my math class. That wasn’t the case as much spring semester, but has been every semester since then (as I now take two math classes per semester). </p>
<p>If you find a writing seminar in a topic you really like, it can be a good experience. Unlike most humanities classes, writing seminar takes a lot of time during the semester, as you’ll constantly be having drafts, revisions, etc due. </p>
<p>Freshman seminars are great. I got into my first choice both semesters, and I think that was because in both cases I was really excited about the topic and let that through in the application. They also can help you fulfill distribution requirements. </p>
<p>I ended up hating physics and waited until junior spring to take my second lab class (a computational neuroscience class that I really enjoyed). Lots of people take MAT 215 and PHY 105 together freshman fall, and it’s usually pretty obvious which one you want to major in. </p>
<p>Get your language requirement out of the way as soon as possible. </p>
<p>COS 126 is a really fun class and is a good idea to take for just about any major.</p>
<p>Lucky! All of you are in Princeton, I’m only 13 but I am devoting my high school years for Princeton, could you guys tell me what you did in your highschool years for Princeton to pick you? Did you have some sort of special talent? Thats what worries me most because I don’t have a special talent… And does being in the IB help? I’m in the full IB program…</p>