ERC Biochemistry/Chemistry Four Year Plan --- Help

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - San Diego
1

Here is my four year plan as a newly admitted freshman, this is off the plans.ucsd.edu wesbite:

**Number is parenthesis is number of units per course

My first quarter (Fall)–Total 16 units

MMW 11 (4)
MATH 20A (4)
CHEM 6A (4)
GE/ELWR (4)

My second quarter (Winter)–Total 18 units

MMW 12 (6)
MATH 20B (4)
CHEM 6B (4)
BILD 1 (4)

My third quarter (Spring)–Total 18 units

MMW 13 (6)
MATH 20C (4)
CHEM 6C (4)
CHEM 7L (4)

I am worried about my Spring and Winter quarters because I heard MMW 12 and 13 are relatively hard, and I don’t want my GPA to get destroyed. In order to lighten the workload those quarters, should I take summer school courses at my local community college?

I was planning to take courses to meet the fine arts requirement, but after seeing the plan, I think I should take the math and science courses (Math 20A and Chem 6A)? Would that be a wise decision?

Also, I have already passed an AP Calc AB test which exempts me from Math 20A, so I could take Math 20B at community college? Also, I am planning to take AP Statistics, AP Spanish Language, and AP Physics C: Mechanics exams. However, I cannot be sure I will do well enough on the exams to exempt me from additional courses. But, from my research, because the AP Physics test counts for natural sciences and a Physics course exemption (which will be useful my sophomore year), the AP Statistics counts for formal/quantitative skills and no course exemption, and the AP Spanish Language only counts for the Foreign Language requirements, I think I can safely take Math 20B and Chemistry 6A without overlap and wasting my time?

Ultimately, by taking Chem 6A and Math 20B at community college, I can shift Math 20C and Chem 6B to my Freshman year. From then on, I only have to take 3 courses my Winter quarter:

MMW 12 (6)
CHEM 6C (4)
BILD 1 (4)

And three courses my Spring quarter:

MMW 13 (6)
CHEM 7L (4)
GE/ELWR (4)

How do my ideas sound? I am trying to lessen the workload for the harder english courses (which is one of the hardest subjects for me along with history). I have spent hours trying to make everything match and work out, any thoughts or advice? I would really appreciate it, thanks!

2

Considering this course load, does UC Davis not seem like a better option? I was also accepted there, but because UCSD is a better school for research and sciences, I was leaning towards it. However, I have not SIR’ed anywhere yet, so I still have the possibility to go to UC Davis.

3

Actually, disregard the second post. I think I was just overwhelmed because I am thinking too much into the future. I can work hard and can handle UCSD. But, I would still like help on summer school courses and my idea for my freshman year plan. Thanks!

4

Taking Math 20B at community college is not a bad idea; it’s considered one of the more difficult math courses. Eighteen units is a hefty workload for a freshman, but not unmanageable. I wouldn’t shy away from the opportunities at UCSD just because of these.

You might want to consider shifting BILD 1 to fall quarter and marking that particular GE slot as your fulfilled foreign language sequence through AP Spanish credit. Unless you have to take the ELWR (entry-level writing requirement) classes, you’ll probably have a little flexibility with the placement of those GE classes.

5

Well, I can’t be sure of how well I will do on the AP Spanish test, so I have to be ready for the fact that I might have to take the 4 courses of the Spanish sequence.

If I take Chem 6A, Math 20B, and MUS 107 at a community college, I think it will help to lessen my schedule and workload greatly. The MUS 107 class is online so I think I can handle it, and it will help finish the fine arts requirement.

6

Considering the 4 year plan proposed by UCSD’s website, would it be grounds for switching colleges? For example, the workload is fairly intense for Biochemisty in itself, and adding ERC GE requirements makes it almost unbearable. Would it be reasonable to request a college change from ERC to Muir, or some other college?

7

You can always ask, but I doubt they’ll allow you to. From Muir’s website:

It seems that your main concern with ERC is completing the writing requirement, and you will have to do that regardless of if they let you switch colleges or not. And I doubt you’ll be able to prove that you can graduate 2 quarters earlier in Muir than ERC. Claiming that the workload in ERC is harder isn’t really a good enough argument. The bulk of the difficulty of your workload is your major, not your college.

Taking your colleges writing course, calculus, and chemistry is pretty standard for a beginning chemistry major, and taking four courses (16-18 credits) is normal for a STEM major. If you look at the four year plans, the only difference in the schedules is that you have to take MMW for ERC, instead of Muir’s writing sequence. You will take the same total units for four years, and your schedule will be essentially the same in both colleges. You just pick different GEs. And even if you do switch colleges, you will still have to complete MMW regardless.

Stop stressing so much. You will be fine. There are chemistry majors in every college and everyone survives. Look at the four year plans for chemistry majors in every college. They are very, very similar.

8

@ScreenSaver if you have even limited Spanish experience, you won’t have to take 4 quarters. Even if you don’t do well on the AP Spanish test, you can always take the placement test to get into LISP 1C/1CX or 1D/1DX. Don’t worry about that.

And don’t worry in general! I’m not saying that biochemistry isn’t difficult, but your schedule is actually way more versatile than, say, that of an engineering major. If you look at the four year plan, you’re only expected to take 36 units total during your fourth year; you’ll have a lot of time to work with. 16-18 units per quarter is challenging, but DEFINITELY not unbearable, even with MMW in the mix.

I don’t think you’re going to be able to switch to Muir, and I wouldn’t worry about that. ERC is an awesome college where you can have a lot of fun even while getting a lot done. Even if you don’t take summer courses, you’ll be able to handle the workload; I really only suggested taking 20B during the summer because it’s a slightly more challenging course. If you’re already exempt from 20A, it wouldn’t even hurt you to take 20B during fall quarter so that you can learn how to manage a marginally more difficult workload; the CHEM 6A-C series isn’t even too bad.

Just don’t stress dude! You’re already taking the right steps to prepare yourself; I can tell you that you’re going to be fine no matter what.

9

Thanks @groverrohan I ultimately will have to take Math 20B during the fall because it is not offered as a summer school course at my local community college. The the Chem 6A course offered at the community college is proposing 6 hours a day for 3 days a week for 6 weeks, which seems like overkill. I think I will just take a fine arts course over the summer, such as MUS 201 which is offered as an online course. I tend to think much further into the future than I need to, hence the worrying. Are there opportunities to receive help for the MMW series by a tutor or something, free of charge? Like someone to read over the essays we have to write, or is that job for the TA?