<p>Hey Guys,
I am a prospective student for FPF Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 at Berkeley. I have some questions before I make a commitment to the school. </p>
<p>1) It says FPF students get access to most campus events and activities so I am safe to assume I can buy football season tickets? Also, I should be able to join and train with the Ski Club correct? The sport is not D1, and no actual competition takes place until the second semester anyway?</p>
<p>2) Is it still possible to graduate with a Physics degree in four years? I was looking at the Physics department and on their course planner the only course they have for the first semester is Math 1A, which I could take at FPF. </p>
<p>2b) I am taking the AB AP Calc Test this spring and am anticipating a 5. Is it safe to assume that Math 1A is the correct starting point for Berkeley math?</p>
<p>3) What other courses should I take at FPF to complete a good schedule that will allow me to graduate in four years? I have always been interested in taking a Psych course and the smaller classes of FPF make that appealing to try to fit in since intro Psych is typically a large lecture. What other classes should I take?</p>
<p>4) Any other comments on FPF for a Physics Major or just in general are welcome.</p>
<p>Graduating in four years requires 120 units, all the requirements of your major and all the university mandated stuff like R&C or breadths. About half your units are ‘free’, not mandated, and can be used to take whatever interests you. To maintain progress towards the physics degree, you would need to average 7.5 units per semester to finish it all in four years. The other university requirements run to about 4 units per semester, less if you can waive things like both R&C due to your AP scores or SAT scores. That is three years at an average load of 15 units per semester. The other 30 units to finish 120 can be a combination of things, but even with zero AP credits and no summer session and no community college credits, you finish in four years at the no sweat rate of 15 units per semester.</p>
<p>The long sequence of prerequisites is:</p>
<p>Math 1A -> Physics 7A and Math 1B -> Physics 7B and Math 53 -> Physics 7C and Math 54 -> Physics 137A -> Physics 111 (3 units) -> Physics 111 (3 more units)</p>
<p>(Honors physics and math courses can be substituted when available.)</p>
<p>This is seven semesters long. Students who start in a more advanced math course than Math 1A can normally shorten it to six semesters by taking Physics 7A or H7A in their first semester, but FPF students do not have this option through FPF. If this applies to you, you may want to ask FPF if you can enroll on a space available basis (possibly through Extension’s Concurrent Enrollment), although space being available is unlikely in Physics 7A or even H7A. Another option is to check if Berkeley City College Physics 4A is available.</p>
<p>If you get a 5 on AP calculus AB, you probably want to start in Math 1B (or H1B on the main campus if allowed and you want to take the honors course). See the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/1305840-freshman-math-faq.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/1305840-freshman-math-faq.html</a> for more information.</p>
<p>Other courses you may want to take in FPF are a reading and composition course (English or Rhetoric R1A or R1B) if you do not have a 5 on AP English literature, and courses like ESPM 50AC that can be used to fulfill breadth requirements and American Cultures. Of the L&S 7-course breadth requirement, physics courses will fulfill the physical science portion automatically; one upper division elective physics course, Physics 177, can fulfill the biological science portion. See listings here: [Office</a> of Undergraduate Advising: 7 Course Breadth](<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/requirement/7breadth.html]Office”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/requirement/7breadth.html) .</p>
<p>You’ll be okay for football tickets and Ski Club. For breadth courses you’ll want to take classes that will take care of breadths that can’t be fulfilled through major classes. Other than Psych some other good classes in FPF are Music 27, ESPM 50AC, Sociology 3AC, and Integrative Biology.</p>
<p>From your info I would suggest a schedule with Math 1B, English, and two breadth courses. This FAQ may also help: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/319367-ask-vicissitudes-spring-admits-faq-included.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/319367-ask-vicissitudes-spring-admits-faq-included.html</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys, it sounds like fpf won’t really be setting me back to much at all. If I come up with more questions I’ll let you know. </p>
<p>Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt using CC</p>