Engineering Students

<p>If you are currently a freshman at USC in Engineering with a decent GPA, how do you find your courses? Are they easier or lot harder than your HS courses? Also, is it wise to retake intro courses in Phys and Chem if you've already taken AP in HS?</p>

<p>well I'm a jr in EE...</p>

<p>I think you have to take physics at usc, the AP physics test doesn't waive you.</p>

<p>If you have done AP physics, or are just strong in math/science/etc in general, I strongly recommend checking out the honors physics sequence - it's pretty awesome. I liked it so much, it was one of the main reasons I signed up for my physics double major.</p>

<p>I did waive my chem requirement with a 5 on AP chem. I didn't particularly miss taking chem, though if you plan on taking additional chem later you should seriously consider taking again (or taking the honors chem courses)</p>

<p>wait... are you saying if we get a 5 on AP Chem then we don't have to take Chem AT ALL in USC?</p>

<p>that depends on your major...ChemE's obviously have to take more chem, and even if they got a 5 on the AP they are very strongly encouraged to take at least some form of beginning chem again. i'm a freshman EE, and i tested out of my chem requirement with a 5 on the AP, and i don't think i'll ever have to take chem again, something i'm very happy about.</p>

<p>also know that it's impossible to test out of any introductory engineering-level physics courses with APs, regardless of your score. as an engineer, your options are essentially regular physics (which mind you, is already pretty hard!), or honors physics. as far as the challenge, some of my classes were the hardest i've ever taken and the most i've had to work. some classes, like GEs, weren't bad, and even my intro EE class wasn't too bad...but calculus II with a Russian professor who ate, drank, and slept math (we were surprised to hear he was married haha) was ridiculous...especially since many upperclassmen and professors say calc II is one of the hardest math classes an engineer will take. and physics this semester is much harder than it was in high school. it's one of those classes where you don't just get a lot of work, but a lot of it is challenging work. i don't mind it too much since i feel like the work is worth it and i'm not wasting my efforts...i feel like i'm getting to be a better problem solver, and answers to physics problems are strangely satisfying haha.</p>

<p>thats awesome
i love physics so i wont have a problem with taking hard physics courses</p>

<p>its chem i dont like too much; i really like that 1 beginning course will do</p>