<p>1)How much harder is it to get in to berkeley if you apply as EECS compared to something like pre-business/pre-economics. ( is an 800 on Math IIc a must)</p>
<p>2) How hard are the CS classes and how tough is the competition at berkeley for EECS.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>It's harder, but I'm not sure by how much. I and just about everyone else I know in engineering got 800 on the Math IIc.</p></li>
<li><p>They're hard. CS 3 and 61A may be pretty simple, but the difficulty jumps up in 61B/C. You'll need to spend 12-15 hours a week, if not much more, to do well in those classes. Projects are huge (20-40 hours each is typical); homework assignments (4 hours each) are graded on correctness; and exams are not very friendly at all (61B/C exams often yield median grades of 50-60%, and grading is done on a standard 10% scale with no curve). Exams are difficult because professors love to test students on far-out extensions of what they teach in class or assign on homework. As for competition, students generally are quite willing to help out each other, but on exams, where you land on the curve is what determines your grade. One person can't hurt your grade because curves are set by class rank, so if you end up with a median grade of B- (which is typical in EECS classes), you're losing to about half the class (and also performing better than half the class if you like to look on the bright side of things).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>1) How much harder? Ummm, kind of hard to quantify. It is harder, though. I got a 780 on IIC and got in.
2) Lower div isn't too bad. It's about the same as any other lower div classes IMO (e.g. physics, math, chem, etc.). Upper div can be very tough. Competition is pretty tough as well.
3) Probably something you don't want to be. Sounds like hardware techs, which isn't really the best place to put a 4-year education to use. I could be wrong, though.</p>
<p>Well, I'm split between EECS and Business Admin/Econ. I really enjoy both, but i would rather be working on computers (programming, support, etc.) than being stuck i an office all day analizing sales reports, and from what some of my teachers have told me, when you graduate you get put into low position sales jobs where all you do is sit at a desk (i wouldn't mind paperwork for part of the day then meetings and other more-active things, but i would mind just doing reports all day).</p>
<p>Then do EECS. You can easily take a few business classes alongside, though you'll have to register early (i.e. during your phase 1 Tele-BEARS appointments.) I just want to make you aware of what you're getting yourself into.</p>
<p>Not true, you can have a social life if you put in the effort. Some students just use the difficulty of the major as a scapegoat; maybe some of the students DO prefer hanging out in Soda/Cory hall all day/night long...</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for all of the input. I think what i will do is wait a couple of years and take some comp sci classes and if i like them i'll apply to the BA program. That or i'll just get a minor in comp sci.</p>
<p>hmm.. just wondering.. but have any of u guys stayed overnight at Soda before? ... and where are the showers and beds there? i've never seen them when i'm there...</p>
<p>I found this on the internet about Soda's bathroom with showers:</p>
<p>Showers. Located in the basement (1st floor on elevator), there is a male shower and a female shower. From the hall, they are marked like regular bathrooms but are much bigger. Keycard, or friend with keycard, is required to use.</p>
<p>The L&S comp sci isn't easy to get in. You need a GPA of at least 3.5 (typically) from your first two years, and you need to go through the weeder 61 sequence.</p>
<p>Only TAs, grad students, and professors have after-hours cardkey access to the first floor.</p>
<p>
[quote]
could you specify of what exactly im getting myself into (it sounds like it isn't a good thing)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you don't like working hard, it isn't a good thing. If you do, then it isn't bad. I think you'll realize that being an engineer means doing a lot of work, but that it comes with the major, and that much of the work you will enjoy. This is the only major in which you'll get to:</p>
<ul>
<li>implement an operating system</li>
<li>implement a database</li>
<li>build a robotic motor car</li>
<li>design and fabricate a digital integrated circuit</li>
<li>design a CPU</li>
<li>design an op-amp</li>
<li>implement a game at the hardware level</li>
</ul>
<p>That stuff isn't easy, but it can be very rewarding.</p>
<p>I'll be frank - I'm not really into the technical thing (in other words, I stink at math), but I do like to program. So currently I'm shooting for the L&S CS major. Next semester, I'll probably have to double-up in two of the prereqs. Can anyone who has taken these before suggest two that fit well together, don't have too heavy a workload, and a relatively reasonable grading scale? I know the 61 series is supposed to be a crazy weeder, but there's no getting around it. :-/</p>
<p>CS70 is pretty easy--basically a math course, so a problem set a week.
CS61B/C are moderate. Quite a bit of coding. Don't take both at the same time.
Math 54 is moderate--a harder math course than CS70.
EE42 should be cake.</p>