<p>I'm going to start at Stanford wanting to major in Math, but I'm also interested in Physics, Computer Science and Engineering. I haven't had much exposure to Physics, CS or Engineering though, so I'm not sure if I'll actually like those subjects.</p>
<p>Therefore, I definitely will take the Math 50H series my freshman year, but I also want to get some of the intro classes out of the way in those other subjects. I took AP Physics C this year (both Mechanics and E&M) so I already have some experience in Physics. I think the appropriate Physics class to take would either be 45 or the 60 series. (Would I need to take 41/43?) The Approaching Stanford booklet says that the 60 series is more math/theory oriented, which is what I want.</p>
<p>To get started in CS, I plan on taking 106A and 106B at some point during my freshman year. I don't know if there's a specific engineering introductory class, so I'm not sure what to do there.</p>
<p>So I imagine a freshman year class load something along these lines:</p>
<p>Math 50H series (4 units)
Physics 40/60 series (4 units)
IHUM (4 units)
CS 106 series 2 quarters and PWR (and an Engineering Intro Sem?) 1 quarter (? units)</p>
<p>I feel like that would cover all my bases and give a strong foundation for any possible engineering study. Does this seem like a doable load for a freshman?</p>
<p>Also, on an unrelated note, can someone please give some additional information about FroSoCo? I get that it's this small community and that it's a little isolated from the rest of campus, but why would someone be drawn to it? I don't completely understand the appeal.</p>
<p>Totally agree, littledot–the food at Ricker is the best, hands down. I try to get over there for dinner at least a couple of times a month. Afterwards I always wonder why the food at Stern can’t be anywhere near that good. Part of the reason must have to do with the number of people each dining hall serves, but that can’t explain the whole difference. </p>
<p>I think FroSoCo appeals to people who prefer a quieter environment overall. I’ve visited friends over there on occasion and it’s usually quiet enough to study or write papers there, even before 11 p.m. In Stern I often have to go to the cluster or a library to get a long period of quiet time, but it’s very convenient to do that so it’s been fine. It all depends on what kind of atmosphere you would prefer on a daily basis.</p>
<p>I’m a rising junior that lived in BroSoCo the last two years. 2 room double frosh year, single sophomore year. Next year I’m in Branner. </p>
<p>Main reasons people like FSC:
2 room doubles for frosh (not assured, but like a 50/50 chance at a 2 room double)
Ricker food (best on campus)
quieter environment
sense of “community” for 2 years
lots of random dorm programming (dinners/lectures/etcetc)
SoFos (sophomores teach a class)…this year I took one on gun history, and we’re taking a field trip to a gun range to shoot all types of guns, pretty cool.</p>
<p>Reasons some people dont like FSC:
long bike ride from classes/gym/center of campus
quieter environment
not as many partiers as east campus frosh dorms</p>
<p>There is something for everyone at FSC though. If you’re a partier, you’ll make FSC friends that go out all the time and party. If you’d rather stay in on the weekends and watch movies with friends, you’ll find that too. If you’d rather stay in on the weekends and code, you’ll find that too.</p>
<p>There ARE lots of nerdy / study24/7 kids here, but I’ve been to every frosh dorm on campus and talked to a large amount of the people there, and there are lots of nerdy/socially awkward kids everywhere. </p>
<p>Some of the sophomores in FSC tend to keep to themselves, while others (like me) make lots of freshman friends. My draw group for next year is actually with 3 other frosh. </p>
<p>The culture of FSC varies year by year, and completely depends on the makeup of the residents living there. FSC this year had a lot of chill freshmen, hence the nickname BroSoCo this year. Next year who knows what type of frosh will live there though. </p>
<p>In general athletes tend to stay away from FSC because it is SO far away from the gym/athletic facilities, but we do have some. This year we have 1 basketball player, 1 baseball, several swimmers. </p>
<p>Sorry for rambling, just typing things out as I think of them.</p>
<p>I’m at least 99% confident. I took Multi-variable Calculus and Linear Algebra as one-year courses at my school taught by a teacher who also taught me Algebra 2 and AP Calculus BC, which I took as a sophomore (and got a 5). He approached the material in a very theoretical matter and I LOVED both classes. I also really enjoyed Physics C and did very well. I had the highest test scores in my class and unless a anti-miracle occurs, I will get a 5 on both sections.</p>
<p>I’ve seen a lot of the material that will be presented in 50H, so I won’t have to put in a lot of work to understand the material. (Obviously I still have to do all the problem sets.) I plan to type up all my Multi and Linear notes in LaTeX this summer to review the material, record my notes more permanently and also to learn how to use LaTeX, which I anticipate using a lot in the coming years.</p>
<p>Also, because much of the CS 106 material is online, I think I’ll go through a lot of the class on my own to learn some of it and start coding some on my own.</p>
<p>Yes, many have tried to take the physics 60 series along with the 50H series, and others watch as they drop like flies. Those two combined with IHUM and CS, and you’re setting yourself up for likely failure. In most cases people drop down either to the 40 series or to the regular 50 series, or both. I think most students know at least a few people (even math majors) who tried to do the 50H series and ended up switching to the 50 series; they drop like flies from 50H alone, much less with physics (40 or 60) and CS.</p>
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<p>Exactly - it’s not so much about understanding the material as it is about spending tons of hours on every problem set to do all the proofs. Expect your brain to be sore by the end of each one. ;)</p>
<p>Sorry to revive a semi-dead thread here, but as someone who once took 50H, I want to warn ThirstyMonkey: You probably have not seen the material presented in it. 52H, while putatively a multivariable calculus course, is really a combination of real analysis and differential geometry. 51H is a combination of multivariable calc and linear algebra, but not likely from the perspective you’ve seen it before. 53H is differential equations, but presented from a very theoretical point of view.</p>
<p>That said, you’re on about the same level as everyone else coming in. You’ve seen some related material, and you’re ready to see more.</p>
<p>For reference, my freshman year I took 50H all year, physics 60 all year, and IHUM all year. I added an introsem in the winter and PWR in the spring. I thought it was a pretty good workload, and I’m glad I waited until sophomore year for CS. Then again, I never even considered being a CS major, so there wasn’t any need to take it earlier.</p>
<p>My year, I think there were between 2 and 4 people who did the entire year of 50H and 60 series.</p>