<p>So, what are the easy or even fun math and science courses that can be taken (by someone with little interest or background) to fill the distribution requirements? Maybe preferably in biology? For those courses, is most of the grade typically from course work or from a final exam?</p>
<p>In the math dept, there is math 101 which I’ve heard isn’t that bad … analyzing a bunch of graphs and whatnot – I don’t know much more about it than that though.</p>
<p>The sciences definitely reach out to non-majors in their courses. When looking at science courses, you have to think about if you’re taking the course to fulfill the science requirement or the laboratory requirement. There are “fun” courses in both of these areas.</p>
<p>Biology:
.Bisc 104: Science or Science Fiction?
.Bisc 105: Stem Cells: A New Frontier in Biomedicine
.Bisc 108: Horticulture w/ Laboratory (hence, fulfills science lab requirement)
.Bisc 109: Human Biology w/ Laboratory</p>
<p>Chemistry:
.Chem 102: Contemporary Problems in Chemistry w/ Laboratory
Topic 2009-2010: Understanding Drugs
I’ve heard great things about this course.</p>
<p>Physics:
.Phys 101: Einstein’s Century: Physics in the Last 100 Years – Professor Stark usually teaches this and he is awesome.
.Phys 103: The Physics of Marine Mammals w/ Laboratory </p>
<p>Astronomy:
.Astro 100: Life in the Universe
.Astro 101: Intro to Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology w/ Laboratory
.Astro 108: Discovering Our Universe (First Years Only)</p>
<p>Geosciences:
.Geos 101: Earth Processes and the Environment w/ Laboratory
.Geos 102: The Dynamic Earth w/ Laboratory
The department also offers some first-year seminars.</p>
<p>Environmental Studies:
.ES 101: Environmental Studies: Methods and Analysis</p>
<p>Computer Science:
.CS 110: Computers and the Internet
You learn how to design a website in this course which I think is really useful.
.CS 114: The Socio-Techno Web</p>
<p>Also, you can take an intro course to any of these areas as well; it might be a bit more intense than what you’re looking for right now, but you’ll get a lot out of it. I took Chem 105 (Intro Chem) for “fun” and I’m really glad I did… I had a good experience, loved the professor, and while I won’t take more chemistry classes at least I can say I took it and know what other people are talking about.</p>
<p>Grades in most math and science courses are split between problem sets (homework), midterm exams, the final, and lab (if applicable).</p>
<p>I think the only courses that depend very heavily on the final would be in the humanities where you could have three papers to write during the semester.</p>
<p>I was at an info session earlier today and the instructer recommended Phys 101: Einstein’s Century: Physics in the Last 100 Years- she said it was similar to a “science for poets” kind of class, if that’s what you’re into…</p>