<p>I'm an incoming freshman so I have been trying to plan out my first year. I'm interested in something biology-related as a major and am also considering medical school so I'm planning out my first year. </p>
<p>Is a first semester courseload of Math 16A+Chem1A+Bio1B+DeCal more doable versus if I doubled up on the sciences with Chem 3A/3AL and Bio 1B (plus Math 16B and DeCal) my second semester? </p>
<p>I would like to clarify that I have finished my IGETC (high school does dual enrollment with community college) which has allowed me to satisfy the 7-breadth requirement at L&S.</p>
<p>Note that Molecular and Cell Biology requires Math 1B, not Math 16B. Other biology majors’ math requirements:</p>
<p>Integrative Biology: 16A or 1A
Plant and Microbial Biology: 16B or 1B
Chemical Biology: 53 and 54 (also requires Chemistry 4A, 4B, 112A, 112B instead of 1A, 3A, 3B)</p>
<p>Both chemistry and biology courses include lab, so they tend to be more work than non-lab courses. Consider taking more units with fewer labs and fewer units with more labs.</p>
<p>Biology majors do not have very good job and career prospects at the bachelor’s level.</p>
<p>In that case, should I separate Chem 3A/3AL and move 3AL into the following fall? I would be taking it with Bio 1A/1AL…from what I have read by browsing these forums, is pretty hard. Would Chem 3AL and Bio 1A/1AL be more manageable with some sort of Stats class than what I had originally planned (Chem 3A/3AL, Bio1B, Math 16B in second semester spring of freshman year)? I haven’t taken any stats class in high school.</p>
<p>I was interested in either IB or PMB, which as you mentioned, does not require Math 1A/1B.</p>
<p>Yo
I would advise NOT to take more than one lab class, generally ever, but especially not your 1st semester. even if you can handle the material you’ll just be exhausted from so much class time. I would definitely start with 16a, a lot of people take this with chem 1a at the same time. I would save 3A till spring or Soph Fall (like me.) I too am not taking 3al with the lecture part, and I know there are many times to take it seperately (online over the summer for interest, or in person over the summer). I would find something to take other than BIO1B (which I’m taking now - it isn’t that easy and would be too much with a chem lab) - perhaps an AC or r&c requirement.</p>
<p>I think you should just take Chem1A your first semester and see how you do. If you get an A (or close to it), Bio1B and Chem3A/3AL your second semester is probably fine. I know a lot of people that are taking Bio1B and first semester of O-Chem together, but they’re pretty much all Chemical Biology majors (taking 112A instead of 3A/3AL). It’s definitely doable, but probably a lot of work.</p>
<p>Taking two labs in one semester is perfectly cromulent depending one what two labs they are.</p>
<p>You first semester your first semester, you should take Math 16A and Chem 1A
Your second semester (spring 2012), you should take Math 16B, Chem 3A & 3AL, and Bio 1B
Your third semester (fall 2012), you should take Bio 1A/L
Your fourth semester (spring 2013), you should take Chem 3B & 3BL.</p>
<p>Please note, Chem 3BL does not mix well with either Bio 1A/L or Bio 1B. This is more true for the former than the latter.</p>
<p>I think Chem 3A/L & Bio 1B combo is perfectly fine… except maybe during your first semester.</p>
<p>It’s usually not a great idea to take sophomore-dominated premed classes during your first semester at Cal because they have a better idea of what to expect from the class and you don’t, so you would already be at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks to everyone for your responses! I think I’m going to stick with what I originally intended to do and take Chem 3A/3AL with Bio 1B, though I might move 3AL in the fall with Bio 1A/1AL (does anybody have any experience with this?)</p>
<p>Btw, who generally teaches Chem 3A in the fall and spring?</p>
<p>You have to take Chem 3A before Bio 1A/L. Bio 1A/L is one of the hardest (or at least most time-consuming) premed prerequisites so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Also, since you are premed, I strongly recommend that you take Chem 1A or else you will be short one semester of general chemistry. I don’t know how strong your chemistry background is, but there is no reason for you to take Chem 3A/L your first semester… you are risking shooting yourself in the foot.</p>
<p>Chem 3A in the fall is with Pedersen. It was with Bertozzi this spring (not sure if she is going to permanently teach it though). Both are great professors.</p>
<p>whosthat1234 - Sorry, I meant to say that I will be taking Chem 1A this fall with Math 16A.</p>
<p>In the following semester I wanted to take Chem 3A/3AL with Bio 1B because I wanted to leave my sophomore year fall for just Bio 1A/1AL. I would be taking Chem 3B/3BL in the sophomore spring with Physics 8A. I didn’t know if I should take Chem 3AL and move it into the fall with Bio 1A/1AL cause of what people have said about the class being really time-consuming.</p>
<p>Thanks for your suggestions about the teachers!</p>
<p>Your schedule sounds pretty good. This is what I recommend though:</p>
<p>Fall '11: Chem 1A + Math 16A
Spring '12: Chem 3A/L + Math 16B + Bio 1B
Fall '12: Bio 1A/L + Physics 8A
Spring '13: Chem 3B/L + Physics 8B</p>
<p>^^^ This is only if you’re trying to get all of your lower divs done before junior year though (for example, if you want to take your MCAT in summer '13). Otherwise you can spread these classes out more and take Physics 8B in Fall '13.</p>
<p>Bio 1A/L isn’t so bad that you can’t take another science class with it. However, don’t take Chem 3B/L with it. Bio 1A/L + physics is a pretty doable combo.</p>
<p>Awesome, thanks! I’m still thinking about whether to start Physics 8A either in Fall '12 or Spring '13 depending on when I want to start taking the MCAT. </p>
<p>Does anybody know how difficult PH 142A (Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health) is? I haven’t taken a stats class before and was going to take it Fall '12 with Bio 1A/1AL and Physics 8A.</p>
<p>So would taking Stats 2 (or the stats class forblueskies mentioned) with bio 1A/AL and physics 8A be doable? If not, when should I take it?
Here’s what I’m thinking of taking my first 4 semesters at Cal:
1st: Math 1B, Chem 1A/AL
2nd: Chem 3A/AL, Bio 1B
3rd: Bio 1A/AL, Physics 8A
4th: Chem 3B/BL, Physics 8B
I’m trying to squeeze in all the courses that I’ll need to do well on the MCAT before the fall of junior year, which is when I want to take the MCAT.</p>
<p>Math 1B is not needed for the MCAT nor is it required to do well in any of the premed sequence. Physics 8A/8B needs only the equivalent information of Math 16A. MCAT addresses general chem, bio, ochem, and physics. no math. </p>
<p>Your sequence can shift around a bit as a result.</p>
<p>Math 1B might be a pre-req for your major, but that is different from doing it early for MCAT prep.</p>