<p>Hey guys, i'm a CU'12, and i'm thinking about doing international/econ major with premed, how does my freshmen year schedule look:</p>
<p>Lit Hum
UW/frontiers
Gen Chem/Lab second semester
Cal
Language</p>
<p>is this a bit much, or do you guys think I could fit in PE. and I also plan to hopefully work in a research lab. And if i don't get any more scholarships, I'm looking at doing work-study. So will i have enough time to have fun, enjoy NYC and still do EC?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>My first semester schedule looked very similar. I had LitHum, a chem class, Frontiers, 3rd yr French, and calc II. It was very, very doable, especially if you have Frontiers. I believe this semester they started introducing group projects into the class assignments (as opposed to just weekly assignments), but on the whole, I still think it's less time-consuming than UW.</p>
<p>To be perfectly honest, though, knowing what I know now, I probably should have taken physics this year just to get it out of the way because my French class was a waste of time (and I didn't even need it for the language requirement). But then again, it is your first semester, so there's no need to overload yourself.</p>
<p>I didn't start working in a research lab until this second semester, but I had lots of extra time first semester during which I certainly could have done so (had I been proactive about seeking such things).</p>
<p>And it probably won't be that hard to squeeze in a PE requirement. And yes to both enjoying NYC and being involved in ECs. </p>
<p>What I liked about my first semester schedule was that I had Fridays almost completely free, so I could use that as my homework day and enjoy the weekend guilt-free. Since you won't be taking chem lab until second semester (chem labs are five hours, and you can take them on either Mondays or Fridays), you'll probably have your Fridays free (though some language classes do meet on Fridays).</p>
<p>I'm sure that schedule-wise, you'd be able to fit in work-study, since hours can be pretty flexible, but I don't know if you want to start off your first semester with so much lined up (as in, research, EC, work-study, and five classes). If you really need the work-study money, then I suggest you commit to that first and then evaluate your schedule mid-semester to see if you can squeeze in research. I mean, you can look for research positions any time, but I get the feeling that if you want a good work-study position, you should apply sooner than later (but, to be honest, I don't have any experience with it).</p>
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is this a bit much, or do you guys think I could fit in PE.
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<p>PE isn't going to tip your schedule from being "the right load" to "too much." It's only 2 hours a week, and depending on your personality and workout motivation level, it might help to have to be forced to get your butt to the gym and break a sweat.</p>
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I also plan to hopefully work in a research lab.
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<p>You're not going to get a research lab position right away. I tried getting one in my first month at Columbia, and it just doesn't happen that quickly. Profs are reluctant to have a starry-eyed freshman work in their labs. They might want you to have gone through your general science classes, or they might want to see a semester's worth of Columbia grades, or they might want references from other Columbia profs who know you. So I wouldn't plan your 1st semester schedule around this.</p>
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Lit Hum
UW/frontiers
Gen Chem/Lab second semester
Cal
Language
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</p>
<p>This schedule looks fine, unless you have a weak high school background (which isn't your fault if so). Will you be prepared for calc and general chem and find it easy, or will it be new material to you? </p>
<p>Also, language could be easy or hard depending on what you're taking and what you know. If you're a white dude trying to take Chinese I and know no Chinese, you're going to have to work your butt off. If you took 4 years of a language in high school and are going back to the beginning, it's going to be easy.</p>
<p>So I see the calc/chem/language is determining whether your sked is easy or hard.</p>
<p>I've taken Cal AB this year, so what cal level would i be taking or would i have to take a placement test.</p>
<p>I'm really interested in international relations, so I am probably going to take Arabic, how is that language compared to the others, I've managed to learn the alphabet this year on my own.</p>
<p>And which chem teacher is great to have, I heard Qazi is really strict but he's a lab prof. though? </p>
<p>And whats a fun PE class, or are those too hard to get into?</p>
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what cal level would i be taking or would i have to take a placement test
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<p>no placement test for calc...sine you don't really need calc except for premed you shouldnt really overextend yourself...i would suggest taking calc 2 then calc 3....if you have a solid background calc 1 might just be annoying. Calc 3 might come in handy later since its a prerequisite for some econ classes.</p>
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so I am probably going to take Arabic, how is that language compared to the others, I've managed to learn the alphabet this year on my own
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</p>
<p>arabic is a hard language but it has become a very popular one lately...what are we comparing it to exactly? if your comparing it to a romance language (french/spanish etc) then of course its alot harder since it has a completely different alphabet, sentence structure, grammatical rules etc than english. One thing that is rarely mentioned is that noone speaks classical (written) arabic, which is what you will of course be learning...so even though you might take 2-4 semesters of it, it is very difficult to actually master it as both a written and spoken language if you are starting from scratch. I heard the classes at columbia are quite intensive though and require alot of effort (to the tone of a couple of hours a day even!)</p>
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And whats a fun PE class, or are those too hard to get into?
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<p>freshman year you won't a good shot at getting into the more desirable gym classes....that said, i think its a good idea to get one semester out of the way freshman year so it doesn't become a burden later on when you are busier. i took volleyball freshman year, it was lots of fun!</p>
<p>if you've always wanted to learn karate, the karate sensei that columbia has is one of the best in the city. i've taken classes with a bunch of other dojos and styles (and the kokikai aikido club at columbia is pretty cool), but none of them are quite as good a workout nor as much fun.</p>
<p>So if I've got this straight, I think I'll probably be spending the first two years of my college career just trying to get through the core and premed classes. So will I have amble time to get through a international relations/econ major in the last two years. And I would love to do a study-abroad junior year, how in the world would i fit that into my schedule?</p>
<p>I think, in general, it's hard for pre-med students to study abroad if they plan on going to med school right after graduation. It's even harder with the Core, since you have to finish a substantial part of it before going abroad. Unless you plan on taking physics, bio, and orgo all in one year (and you'd still have their respective labs left), you won't finish your pre-med requirements before junior year, and med schools prefer that you don't take the pre-med requirements abroad. </p>
<p>A more feasible option might be going abroad during the summer doing an internship or something. I don't know much about studying abroad, but if you go to Columbia's academic advising website, you'll find information on the requirements and all that.</p>
<p>And I recommend taking calc II because it's easy. If you had good prep in AP Calc AB, then calc II should present no problems. Calc I would be too easy and a waste of your time. Although, I know several people who skipped calc II and went straight to calc III (and didn't find the choice problematic at all).</p>
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I'm really interested in international relations, so I am probably going to take Arabic, how is that language compared to the others, I've managed to learn the alphabet this year on my own.
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<p>in addition to what shraf said about the classic vs actual spoken, it's THE most popular language at columbia. there is a list of who gets to sign up for it and in what order they are considered. search the MEALAC website for it.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses guys, but I also wondering if its even feasible to do a double major and premed. I was thinking of that joint international relations/econ major with the neuroscience and behavior major. See I ultimately want to do international medicine and I'm really passionate about both fields, and I can't really see myself deciding between the two. If it is possible, should I alter my previous schedule to make it work out at the end?</p>
<p>P.S. is there anyone I could probably talk to now before I even get to CU to make a mock schedule. I know I'm probably going to far, but I just like to know things aren't all up in the air and spontaneous. Thanks again guys!</p>
<p>there's no such thing as an international relations major so problem solved!</p>
<p>also, if i remember correctly there is an abbreviated econ major especially for premeds. </p>
<p>you'll get a chance to meet with your adviser during orientation before you register for classes and you don't have to pick a major for another two years so relax!</p>
<p>I took arabic. It's a LOT of work, in addition to 3 2 hour classes a week, you'll have about 2-4 hours of studying to do outside of class per class (memorizing vocab, homework drills, etc.)</p>
<p>I think they've made an active effort to expand the number of sections of arabic offerred, so I don't know if this is true anymore, but you used to have to be really lucky to be able to take arabic freshmen year.</p>
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P.S. is there anyone I could probably talk to now before I even get to CU to make a mock schedule. I know I'm probably going to far, but I just like to know things aren't all up in the air and spontaneous.
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<p>You can't make a mock schedule because you don't know what time you'll be assigned to take the classes that you're forced to take at a certain time (UW, and perhaps Lithum?)</p>
<p>C2K2 makes a very valid point, nevertheless I actually got in touch with the predecessor of the Center for Student Advising during the summer before my freshman year and had a conversation about academic requirements and stuff with one of the deans.</p>
<p>If you're going to attend one of the Summer academic sessions, you might be able to talk to a dean briefly then. If you're near NYC you might want to visit, and if you're not, call the office and have a phone conversation with a dean to discuss. The dean I spoke to was really helpful in easing some anxieties.</p>
<p>I don't mean to intrude on the whole topic, but how exactly do we sign up for classes? Is it in the summer and is there a lot of advising going on during that time? I know there are those summer things, but do you have to go to all of them?</p>
<p>the class registration system is all online (or by phone, though i dont think any undergrad uses that) </p>
<p>you will have a chance to talk to your adviser and go listen to some info sessions by various departments (like chem and physics) during orientation </p>
<p>you don't have to go to any of the summer sessions at all</p>
<p>what summer sessions? and when?</p>
<p>You'll deal with registration during orientation. Don't worry about it.</p>
<p>Columbia usually hosts a series of academic planning/advising during the summer. Mostly on campus. They're not mandatory. But at least at the ones on campus, there's a mini-ceremony during which a representative of the CC Alumni Association presents each incoming freshman in the college in attendance with a copy of the Iliad.</p>
<p>I thought I read somewhere that they send us a copy of the Iliad when we tell them we're going to Columbia. Is this true?</p>
<p>Well, like CF said in post #18, you get your copy of the Iliad from the alumni association during summer advising sessions. If you don't go to any of those, a copy is sent to you near the end of the summer. I got my copy only a few days before move-in day, so I ended up buying my own copy (and then returning it when I got mine in the mail).</p>