Early Honors Orientation

<p>Looking for advice as usual. We are headed to Tuscaloosa for Friday’s orientation. Looking for schedule suggestions. Looks like definate major in Political Science. DS also looking at double major option due to lots of AP/DE credit. He would really like to do International Business if possible to work out majoring in 2 colleges. </p>

<p>Credits (we hope) for English(has comp and lit but I here credit for only one), US History, Calculus AB, US Government, West. Civ., Geology, Psychology, MAYBE Biology (nervous over AP exam)</p>

<p>Any course suggestions/professor suggestions???</p>

<p>Thanks as always!</p>

<p>bamafana: refresh my memory. Is he in any of the honors programs? I’ve been encouraging my D to take some classes that are “fun” balanced with the required ones. Of course, what my D thinks is fun, may not be to others.</p>

<p>Since she is UHP & IHP, she needs 4 semesters of a foreign language (not carrying over her HS language choice) so her 4 credit language class is the one that will center the schedule. Also hoping for IHP155 (Freshman Seminar.) Waiting to see about the math placement testing; I’m encouraging her to take the math class 1st semester to get it out of the way so she doesn’t forget all the math in her head & struggle later. There’s a couple of UHP freshman seminars that she’s looking at too. </p>

<p>She also has ap credit so she’s been trying to work that into the equation. It’ll be much easier to figure out once that’s all loaded into DegreeWorks.</p>

<p>BTW, she got an email this week about what to do to prep for Bama Bound. I thought it was well laid out. She has her last AP exam on Tuesday & then I think she’ll get cracking on that list so she’s ready for May 27th.</p>

<p>Will you let us know how it goes on Friday?</p>

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<p>Son and I set up a mock schedule and decision tree (in case courses or sections are closed) and found ratemyprofessors.com helpful in weeding out the universally loathed profs, as well as discovering well liked profs. I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but it’s better than no info.</p>

<p>Here’s the url for UA: [University</a> of Alabama - Alabama](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/SelectTeacher.jsp?sid=1058]University”>http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/SelectTeacher.jsp?sid=1058)</p>

<p>RobD, my DS is in the honors program. He too will take his last AP exam Tuesday. It’s funny, with his major, he probably won’t have to take anymore math. He told me last night that he is really going to miss calculus!!! He said he loves working a whole page of calculations and getting an answer! Don’t know where he gets that from!!! He said he was able to answer every question on the AP exam and is very confident of the results. Anyway, I tried to talk to him about engineering and he is adamantly against it. I suggested finance or accounting and he said that is a different kind of math. Not interested! Any suggestions on that front??? He’s set for at least 1 major in PSCI!</p>

<p>And, YES, I’ll post how things go Friday!!</p>

<p>Bamafana, my son is a poli sci/econ/math major. He recommends that your son consider taking the Honors Comparative Government class. He took the AP one in HS, got full credit for it at UA and already has taken two more political science classes as a freshman. The comparative government class would give your son a great overview of the governments of specific countries. </p>

<p>He also recommends Econ 110/111, especially because he does like calculus and the basics of calculus are used in economics, particularly at the lower levels. He really likes Dr. Paan Jindapon. Don’t know if he will teach that level, but he is excellent.</p>

<p>In terms of foreign language, he had Senora Rojas, and he just loved her Spanish 201 class. </p>

<p>He did remind me of this: Anyone who does not test into Math 121 or 125 (145 at honors) and must take a lower-level class, remember that those are online classes. Online is not for everyone, he pointed out, because you must pace yourself to do well. He had lots of online experience in HS, taking seven AP classes through our state online program (which is just awesome). But some kids may feel a little overwhelmed by taking math online, because it is, perhaps, the most challenging of all subjects taught online.</p>

<p>Students don’t have to take a math placement test if they have …</p>

<p>In order to be exempt from the assessment, students must meet one of the following criteria;</p>

<p>You have math transfer credit that has already been approved</p>

<p>You scored a 29 or higher on the ACT math test OR a 640 or higher on the SAT math test AND you have successfully completed a high school calculus course (grade of C- or higher)</p>

<p>m2ck, so if he makes a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus exam will that make him exempt? Surely that would serve as math credit??</p>

<p>Is that exempt from taking Math, or the assessment? Is that 640 on SAT 2? Only calc at our hs is AP calc and my Humanities S is thinking he’s not taking it next year? I think he is going to take an intro Calc/intro Stats class- 1/2 year each, thinking that would be good preparation for college stats or calc if he has to take it. I’m sure that won’t count, right.</p>

<p>During my son’s Bama Bound session, the Alabama student advising department officials told the kids that if they took the AP, but the score was not available (since it will not be sent to colleges and universities until July 1), the school gave them the benefit of the doubt. They would schedule based on the fact that they assumed a student passed the exam. They can always go back and make a change at a later time.</p>

<p>My son also mentioned that, right now, many sections of classes look closed. What will happen during Bama Bound is that scheduling will open for a five- to six-hour window, giving students plenty of time to put together their schedule. </p>

<p>BTW, lots of kids use ratemyprofessors.com … my son found that there is one poli sci professor who brings cookies to her students. Free food, that’s an incentive to take her class, he said.</p>

<p>Thank you for sharing this information. Finals are almost over and I see my son spending some time with Degree Works/Rate my Professor, pencil and paper! One more AP to go!</p>

<p>ldinct: I believe Alabama wants a full year of HS calculus. Nothing about the SAT II math is mentioned, because the school does not require the SAT II. </p>

<p>Call or e-mail admissions to find out what they want.</p>

<p>momreads, my DS has emailed your son for some more advice. Thanks!</p>

<p>*m2ck, so if he makes a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus exam will that make him exempt? Surely that would serve as math credit?? *</p>

<p>Yes. Not only would it make him exempt from the placement test (even though you don’t know his score), but he’s also fulfilled his math requirement for Core.</p>

<p>If a student has taken a year of high school calc and had 640 on the math SAT or 29 math ACT, then he’d be exempt from the placement test, but still have to fulfill the Core…unless the Cal is AP and he got the credits…</p>

<p>*Is that exempt from taking Math, or the assessment? Is that 640 on SAT 2? Only calc at our hs is AP calc and my Humanities S is thinking he’s not taking it next year? I think he is going to take an intro Calc/intro Stats class- 1/2 year each, thinking that would be good preparation for college stats or calc if he has to take it. I’m sure that won’t count, right. *</p>

<p>640 on the math section of the SAT I and taking a year of high school Calc is an exemption from taking the math placement. So, your son will likely have to take the placement exam. Not a big deal. I think the test is one hour.</p>

<p>bamafana, there are many ways your son can still continue with math and have it relate to his major. Certain econ and finance classes require advanced math classes (especially in graduate-level courses) and physics can also be an option, among other majors. In the lower levels, accounting and finance do use less calculus, but still many of the problems require taking derivatives or using detailed formulas. I highly suggest researching A&S econ as it is exempt form many of the course requirements that CBA majors have, while still being able to take advantage of all that CBA offers (look at some of the special programs listed in the catalog, there are many quantitative tracks listed).</p>

<p>Along with momreads’s son, I highly recommend Dr. Jindapon. He tends to teach more non-honors upper-level courses, but his classes are filled with very talented students. In my class with him, I’d say that most or at least a good part of the students were honors students.</p>

<p>Thanks SEA_tide. He is thinking of the physics possibility. Don’t know how well that goes with someone wanting to go to law school and into politics, but what the heck…Maybe he won’t like being a lawyer!</p>

<p>Bamafana, one can attend law school with any major. There are several chem engineering majors who have no desire to work in engineering but plan to attend law school (one of my son’s friends is planning to do this). I have a friend whose son started out as a pre-med major at Alabama. He decided midway through his freshman year that he did not want to go to med school but plans to major in physics and computer science. His mom said that she doesn’t know what he plans to do, but law school is always an option.</p>

<p>Ok another question, Friday is fast approaching!!! In looking at classes thru mybama, some don’t mention the professor (we are using ratemyprofessor.com). Any way to find out who is teaching the class??</p>

<p>Some classes will not have assigned professors to them until later in the summer.</p>

<p>Bamafana - One that he may not of considered is actuarial science. Lots of math involved, good pay. (Generally work for insurance companies) Check it out at beanactuary.com</p>

<p>We will check that out! Thanks ccforlife!</p>