<p>Hey, i know that an academic advisor will probably help me sort this all out at my orientation but i would like some advice from someone who is familiar with the classes at umd. All of this really depends on my AP scores but i feel like i do have a good idea of what i got on them. So right now, i put down that i want to be a bio major (pre-med track) but im really not sure (thinking possibly physical therapy). As of right now this is what im thinking of taking:</p>
<p>Organic Chem (took ap chem and basically positive i got atleast a 4)
Bio 105-H (in honors program, bu ti havent taken bio since 9th grade!)
some honors seminar, or a writing seminar or maybe some excerise science class
calc (either the first semester one, or second semester depending on my calc ab ap score)</p>
<p>Is this courseload crazy-hard/ not recommended? I know i need to have bio and i felt that it was smart to continue on with calc and chem b/c they are fresh in my mind from sr year and then yeah... honors seminar or writing. Yet i feel like taking orgo, bio, nad calc first semester would be killer. Comments/ suggestions?? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>-->can you place right into orgo?? are you sure it isn't just chem 2?
if so.......</p>
<p>orgo is killer alone. i wouldn't recommend taking it at the same time as bio, because that's 6 hours of labs a week (i'm assuming you'd take the orgo lab). you're already ahead of the track if you're eligible to take orgo first semester, so no need to rush it.</p>
<p>if you take calc I, you should be fine no matter what else you're taking. i took calc in 11th grade and not 12th and found calc I (i took 220) to be pretty much a review with additional new concepts. i did virtually no work or studying and got a B+. don't know about calc II though.</p>
<p>also keep in mind that a writing seminar (and also maybe an honors seminar) requires a lot of writing which is time-consuming. with an orgo lab and a lot of orgo studying (and trust me, i've heard the horror stories... you will be studying!!!), you might want to leave yourself some free time in your schedule.</p>
<p>remember it's just your first semester, don't weigh yourself down this early!! :)</p>
<p>in conclusion....
orgo + calc I = no problem
orgo + calc II = shouldn't be too hard if you're good with math
orgo + bio = a lot of labs, a lot of work, why bother?
therefore, orgo + bio + calc + writing = way too much work</p>
<p>hope that helped somewhat.
if anyone on this board is a science major (i dont' think any of us that show up regularly are though), they can definitely help you better than i can.</p>
<p>alright, thanks guys. I knew orgo alone would be a killer so maybe first semester i should lighten it up a bit and not take orgo (i do believe that's what i place into with a 4 or 5 on the ap chem test). but ill definately take calc then (should be an easy review after ap calc), and if i dont place into orgo and just another reg chem class ill take that too because once again, after a year of ap chem (and honors chemistry back in 10th grade) it should be a breeze.</p>
<p>big J, i believe i would be taking the traditional calc courses (for premed), but they should be really easy after ap calc... math has been kind of natural for me too. (put in very little-minimal effort all year long in the class, and while most students were struggling with C's, i pulled off a+s all quarters)</p>
<p>anyone know anything about the kinesthology (sp?) classes, i do want to get a feel for something in the physical therapy area.</p>
<p>Trust me when I say this. Calc II is not going to be an easy course. At UMD, it is one of the infamous "weed-out" courses.</p>
<p>To get a B in Calc II, I had to put in a lot of effort. This was coming off of an easy 5 on the AP Calc AB test. You will have to buckle down and put a lot of effort into the class.</p>
<p>Okay - "weed out" has me shaking! Math has always been my nemesis. Lindz and BigJ - what do you 2 recommend for getting through 220/221 when the time comes? I'm a Bio major also and I plan to go with 113 first semester anyway - and wont hit 220 until second semester. The prospect of having to take Physics is weirding me out as well. But I don't see the sense of killing myself first semester - its not a horse race - want to keep the GPA decent for when I apply to dental school!</p>
<p>Awwww, I posted a nice reply and my computer messed up. :(</p>
<p>Basically: I think BigJ was referring to 141 being a weed-out class. (Sorry if that's wrong.)</p>
<p>The big thing I would say to keep in mind, no matter WHAT level or course calculus you're taking is: ask for help if you need it. All the concepts build on one another. You can't just not know something, because it will come back in a few weeks as part of something else. So the day you don't understand something, be sure to ask about it, either during or after class. :)</p>
<p>Lindz, absolutely correct. I was referring to 141 being the weed-out course.</p>
<p>The "Business" Calc courses (22x) are typically not as hard as their counterparts, so you should be fine as long as you put some effort into it.</p>
<p>Lindz, great advice asking for help. Too many of my friends didn't understand a concept in Calc II, and wound up struggling big time later on in the course. You really need to build a good foundation for Calc , especially when you come to Series (my arch-nemesis).</p>
<p>GGT, as far as getting through Calc, since you said Math wasn't your strong point I would recommened taking easier courses during the semesters you're talking Calculus. This way, you have more time to concentrate on Calc during those semesters. </p>
<p>What I recommend you do is to NOT pick up a Ti-89. The Ti-89 Series of Calculators will do almost all of the work for you out of the box in Calc I and II. The problem with that is that people will use the calculator as a crutchl; they'll use it to do all their work and perform terribly on tests when it's not allowed.</p>
<p>Stick to a scientific calculator or the Ti-83/84. </p>
<p>Also, think about picking up the AP Math Calc review book. I had the review book and it helped me brush up on concepts, and explained to me some things that the teacher wasn't too clear on. It also has many, many examples you can practice with in addition to the material you do during the course. After I was done with it, I wound up giving it to a friend who was in Calc I and it wound up being a life saver for him.</p>
<p>I am DEFINITELY taking 220 now. I really don't even have to take a math because I can exempt out of the CORE, but I like calc so I'm going to take it.</p>
<p>Okay, if the OP is going to take 113 like he says, then why is he even worrying about calc? He doesn't need to take it for bio or dentistry... just screw it all together my man. I'm not taking 113 because precalc was much harder than calc to me.</p>
<p>Hey BigJ, what lab science would you suggest taking? I was thinking Chem or Physics but Lindz said those classes are a b*tch, so what do you suggest?</p>
<p>I can't comment on taking any of the lab sciences. Because of AP and Community College credits I took in the summer before going to UMD, I wound up not having to take the Core Lab Sciences and a couple of other core reqs.</p>
<p>However, 2 of my best friends wound up taking the Chem that Bio majors have to take. They said it was a pretty rough class. That being said, I really don't know how much time they put into it.</p>
<p>What it basically comes down to is that if you're looking to take any of the serious sciences, you better be willing to put in the time and effort most of them will require.</p>
<p>being that science is my passion and my forte of coarse im willing to put in the effort that they require, although novel to many on this board (or so it seems) science (and math) is much easier and comes much more quickly than the humanities (except for say, writing) for me. Thanks for all your input... if there are any sci or math majors out there willing to give their perspective that would be awesome! :)</p>
<p>I'm ****ed. A guy on Facebook just told me that all of the CRIM100 classes are filled up.. and he went to the first Orientation! I am a Crim major and really want to take Gaston first semester because I heard amazing things about him. Oh well, kind of stupid that a FRESHMAN class such as that gets filled before Freshman Orientation.</p>
<p>BigJ - When do they not allow you to use the TI? We have used them in every math class I've taken in HS - another uh oh. Good idea on the AP Calc book! I have used them as supplements on my HS AP classes - really came in handy on Stat and Bio since the teachers in these classes weren't too helpful with questions and it was basically teaching myself! I'm using the SAT Math Review to brush up for the Math placement test in a few weeks.</p>
<p>Testudo - unfortunately two semesters of calc and two semesters of physics are required for the GENBIO major which I'm taking for Pre-dent.</p>
<p>But - there may be good news for you. Although Testudo online shows the freshie chem classes and many sections of the Bio classes appear to be closed - I spoke with an advisor in the department and he told me that there are seats which arent on Testudo which are reserved for freshmen - he also said not to worry because the department "takes care of their majors" - so hopefully this is also the case for your major.</p>
<p>GGT, To my knowledge, NONE of the MATH141 professors will allow you to use the any calculator whatsoever on the tests (which in my case, constitued I think 70% of the grade). Although some may make exceptions for scientific calculators, which isn't that big of a deal due to arithmetic errors typically only costing you a point or two.</p>
<p>It may be different for MATH220 and MATH221, but I doubt it. Professors know the capabilities of graphing calculators, and will typically not allow you to use them in any Calc I or II courses in many universities.</p>
<p>Also, kurplunk, for what it's worth, I used to be a Comp Sci/Math Major. Now I'm Economics. I've taken Calc III (IMHO, much easier than Calc II since it essentially builds on the information you learn there, and I had a solid foundation) and Linear Algebra (a managable course, but still difficult). I was always pushed into Math/Comp Sci by my family and teachers, however I just didn't enjoy myself and what I was learning. I really like the theory behind Economics (especially Macro), so I decided to switch majors. Worst case scenario, I wind up switching back into the CS/Math programs.</p>
<p>It's surprising how many professors DO let us use graphing calculators even when they are completely unnecessary (economics, statistics, marketing). I know a lot of people who have gotten through exams by typing a good deal of their notes into their calculators, rather than actually studying. :P</p>
<p>The classes start on monday so unless you make a decision quick I don't think you can do the first session but the second sessions go through 07/17/06-08/27/06. If you live close to the university you can go back and forth.</p>
<p>CCJS 100 is what I meant. Well I am a CCJS major and I heard the teacher is awesome so for my first semester on campus I wanted to have a nice, casual class to get used to it all.</p>
<p>Gosh, its so annoying. Every class has been fuilled up. I wanted an easy schedule and I think I have it but I have some crazy ECON teacher and it seems everyone fails that class. Does anyone know of any class I could do now that I am not doing?</p>
<p>I am doing...
BMGT230B
BMGT110S
Hist175
CPSP118B</p>
<p>Then I have the econ201 class with some Neri guy and ratemyprofessor has about everyone saying that the average on tests is always in the 60s. I don't want to get a horrible grade my first semester of college. The quest program only looks at this first semester and I need a B for that. On top of that its macro econ I want to take the class because I just read a review book.</p>
<p>I guess BSE scholar kids are told to take econ 200 until the spring semester or I would do that. I was also told not to take math because I could do well on the AP test(which I think I did) and place out and not have to take a math. Then they tell us not to take English because BSE scholars has a special english class in spring and I am waiting on APs. </p>
<p>Just wondering what you all are doing for your COREs because I can't find anything good because 90% of the good ones are all full. I need one more class. </p>
<p>Another question and maybe lindz or some of the business kids can answer. FOr our cores, how many credits of SH do we need? I have credit for AP Govt. If we have extra SH courses it will be one of our electives right? I don't even really want HIST175 but it seems to have a good teacher and I wouldn't mind it. Its technology in western civilization throughout history and that doesn't sound too bad to me. The other three classes I have I like and I have to take basically. All the teachers got good grades on rate my professor.</p>