<p>"A seperate question, which I tried unsuccessfully to raise earlier, deals with continuing in a language (or math, physics or chemistry). That is, is it a good call to place into or otherwise sign up for the most advanced possible continuing class? Or might it be adviseable, especiallly for freshmen, to give yourself a break and take, say, third term Spanish instead of fourth term Spanish?" </p>
<p>I personally see no reason to repeat a class you already took (unless it's required for your major, premed requirements, etc.). On the other hand, I wouldn't recommend that you take the hardest class available. For example, if you have a 5 on AP Calc BC you can take Math 51H first quarter. If you don't really like math I wouldn't recommend the class. If you are unsure which level class you should be in, attend the two classes you are considering for the first week or two, see the homework, meet the profs, etc. and then decide. You can add classes 3 weeks into the quarter and drop them 4 weeks into the quarter. </p>
<p>(Aside: If you took a class in high school and meet the AP requirements to place out of it but don't feel that your high school class was at the same level as the same class at Stanford, yet you don't really want to repeat the class, you could also just sit in on lectures for the quarter. That's what I'm doing with CS 106A.)</p>