<p>How spread out should the core be? Should I take one non-science/math each year, or concentrate them all into the first two? Personal experiences/satisfaction/regrets are appreciated.</p>
<p>Which part of the core must be taken freshman year? That is, which is the best preparation for a general Chicago education?</p>
<p>If additional core-related questions are asked later in the post (by anyone), I'll do my best to add them here for wider discussion:</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>At least two quarters of Hum must be taken first year, because it has the required first-year writing seminar attached to it. That’s the only rule, as far as I know.</p>
<p>In the now more-or-less-distant past, the general rule was Hum first year, Sosc second, and Civ third. When my first child was a first year, the advisors were pushing Hum and Sosc first year. That worked out for some people, not so well for others, and I believe the general stance towards it is agnostic/neutral – no rule against it, certainly, but no presumption that it’s the right thing.</p>
<p>^ Actually, you don’t have to take Hume your first year, but your adviser will insist that you do. </p>
<p>I regret taking SOSC and CIV at the same time. I should have taken CIV my second year and SOSC my third year. But I have a really demanding SOSC professor.</p>
<p>If I plan on majoring in the humanities or social sciences, do i still have to take Chem as part of the core or can I take an easier science?</p>
<p>Most of these answers can be found on UChicago’s online catalog, to make things easier. </p>
<p><a href=“http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_10/Curr.pdf[/url]”>http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_10/Curr.pdf</a></p>
<p>I can’t figure out how to edit my original post, but this question was asked by okfine: </p>
<p>**If I plan on majoring in the humanities or social sciences, do i still have to take Chem as part of the core or can I take an easier science? **</p>
<p>KMad offered a link</p>
<p>**<a href=“http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_10/Curr.pdf[/url]”>http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_10/Curr.pdf</a> **</p>
<p>Since the course catalog can be kind of confusing when one doesn’t know a lot about the core already, no, you don’t have to take chem if you aren’t majoring in a science. The core offers two different branches to fulfill the science/math requirement - one for majors, one for non majors. It offers bio and physical science classes geared toward those who don’t eventually want to study science.</p>
<p>You have to take two quarters of physical science. Regular (or honors) Chemistry or Physics would satisfy that, but there is also a list of “special” courses for non-science types that meet the requirement. I only remember one of the ones my kid took – it was a class on climate change, focused on mathematical models. She thought it was kind of ridiculous, but she learned from it. (I heard the teacher give a sensational presentation about the course. One of the other people there asked, “This is so compelling! Do any of the students in this course ever get so turned on that they switch to be science majors?” The professor answered, “Honestly, no. I’m confident that the course has produced quite a number of environmental lawyers, but scientists?, not yet.”)</p>
<p>Yay, thanks for the responses!</p>
<p>[Examining</a> the Core: Thesciences - The Chicago Maroon](<a href=“Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon”>Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon)
[Examining</a> the Core: Hum, Sosc, andCiv - The Chicago Maroon](<a href=“Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon”>Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon)
[Examining</a> the Core: TheArts - The Chicago Maroon](<a href=“Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon”>Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon)</p>
<p>The foregoing may be of interest to some posters. They are a series of editorials from the Maroon about strengthening the Core (and some intelligent responses from other students, as well).</p>
<p>Excellent pages, JHS.</p>
<p>I’m wondering (outloud, and to a general audience) whether non-science majors like myself should take typical science courses. I’m not turned on by the “alternate” courses because I fear they’ll be filled with other humanities majors, many of whom prefer to debate instead of observe and experiment.</p>
<p>If I have a genuine love of traditional science class (think high school Chemistry), but have no intention to be a pre-med, will I feel comfortable in the standard science courses? Are these designed for AP science graduates (which I am not)?</p>
<p>Back to JHS post #2 - I’m confused. I have reviewed the material provided in “The Curriculum” and don’t quite follow the meaning of this sentence under: Interpretation of Historical, Literary, and Philosophical Texts … In combination with these courses (humanities sequence), students take Humanities Writing Seminar (HUMA 191000-192000-193000) that introduce the analysis and practice of expert academic writing. </p>
<p>I had presumed that HUMA 191000-192000-193000 constituted a separate 3 credit sequence. From what JHS wrote, it would appear that Humanities Writing Seminar is a component of every humanities sequence and not a separate set of courses. Please clarify.</p>
<p>editor: My (parental) understanding is that the Writing Seminar is an integral part of each Hum course and not separately credited or graded. Some one should correct me if that is wrong.</p>
<p>lasermouse: I think every non-science major struggles with that question, and the outcomes of those struggles differ. The “real” non-honors science classes do not presume that you have taken the corresponding AP class already. The real issue is that they are filled with pre-meds, and involve a fair amount of content, so that there is a lot of work and a lot of anxiety. Many people choose not to subject themselves to that if they don’t have to for their majors or career plans, even if in theory they would prefer a real science class to X For Poets. You might also decide to make different choices for different science requirements, e.g., taking normal bio, but using the special ed option for physical science.</p>
<p>Why would you assume, by the way, that other students are not like you? I’m sure there are lots of non-science majors who share your appreciation for science (and also that there are argumentative humanities majors who are also pre-meds in the normal science courses). In any event, I was about the most argumentative humanities major possible, and I don’t remember so much as opening my mouth in my (one) college science class (which I loved).</p>
<p>I’m also struggling with what to do on science. My high school’s science classes were extremely inefficient and slow-paced, so I don’t know if I’d be ready for a regular science sequence. However, I also don’t want to waste my time keeping a diet log. Maybe I’ll just have to wait for the placement test?</p>
<p>What JHS said about the writing seminar is true - you must pass it to get credit for Hum, but it isn’t separately credited or graded. </p>
<p>I know one non science major who took the regular physics sequence rather than physical sciences. He enjoyed it, and said that if a non science major really wanted to take a real science class, there was really no reason not to. It was very difficult, but as long as you go into it expecting that, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Honestly, if you are a non-science major, I think you would be better off aiming for an ‘A’ in a physics for poets type course than trying to take even the most basic calculus based physics sequence. This holds for chemistry too. As it is, when I took physics for poets it was very similar to AP physics B at the 3-4 score level, which for the true poets proved challenging. </p>
<p>The problem is, because UChicago has the science for non-scientists type courses, if you opt into a real science course you are necessarily pitting yourself against presumptive science majors / pre-meds. It is just not the same as a school where everyone must take stock chemistry to graduate, so you have half an introductory class that is only mildly interested / intellectually inclined to the subject.</p>
<p>The writing section of the HUM courses shows up as a P/F on the report card, but it is not a separate class. The HUM grade is what counts in the GPA.</p>
<p>uchicagoalum, are you considering the Physics 12000 sequence as the physics for poets?</p>
<p>Physics 12000 is Physics for Premeds and Bio majors. The Physics for Poets sequence is PhySci 11100 et seq. The special non-science-major, core-satisfying physical science courses are all stashed under the Physical Sciences rubric (unlike biology, where the Biological Sciences Division takes responsibility for them).</p>
<p>JHS – thanks. S1 AP’d out of physics and just has to do the Bio sequence, so we didn’t pay too much attention. </p>
<p>S2, my current HS junior, is a social sciences/life sciences guy, and is taking AP/HL Bio next year. He’d probably go for the four-quarter phys sci sequence.</p>
<p>Interesting perspective, uchicagoalum.</p>