<p>Are you sure you can take Physics 8B? Usually students are not allowed to switch Physics halfway between series, especially from 7A to 8B since that would mean you don’t ever cover thermo (which is the easiest physics unit anyway) …</p>
<p>So I’d make sure to double-check with an advisor. If you want to switch, you may have to start over with 8A first.</p>
<p>I did check with my chem advisor, and she approved. For Chem Bio (not other chem majors though), you can take 8 series – they only recommend you take 7 series. I don’t want to compete with EECS people who should be in higher level physics anymore</p>
<p>I know that 8 series is allowed for chem bio, I was just wondering whether they would let you switch from 7A to 8B without redoing 8A since that means you’ll never have learned thermo (in physics, at least). But if Maura said it was okay, then it must be okay.</p>
<p>Yea, i didn’t know about the thermo-lacking part, but yea, Maura got it approved for me.</p>
<p>Are you doing chem too? What year are you?</p>
<p>I’m not in college yet, but I am definitely becoming a math major. Not sure where though…</p>
<p>Blueducky, do you have to take 54 as well? I think that will be fun. I really enjoyed Linear Algebra…</p>
<p>^^ Non-math majors don’t necessarily tend to like the material so much, as I’ve come to see. There are some exceptions, but many of those who have to take some would rather get into something practical, whose complexity arises independent of the degree of math involved.</p>
<p>Undergrad college is a once in a lifetime thing (usually XD)… Shouldn’t you savor it instead of trying to rush through it? I know you’ll save money, but that’s one year you’ll never get back.</p>
<p>I’ve decided to not do the graduate in 3 years thing. It was just an option in the back of my mind. Now I am sure I will stay the full four years.</p>
<p>Yes Chem Bio requires math 1a-1b, 53, 54.</p>
<p>I must say though, Math 1b is not as hard as chem or physics right now. I’ve always liked math in general but I never considered majoring in math. Just… not as practical and seemed somewhat too insular.</p>
<p>Well, “liking math” is one of those things one must be careful to define. There are so many stages to that. Some like calculus, but find out they’d rather not deal with any of the other stuff, and prefer applying that math elsewhere. Some like the math required for a math major, but don’t like all the math that’s in advanced literature not in classes. Some like even that kind of math, but don’t like researching it, only learning it, finding research to be less glamorous than they’d like. </p>
<p>And basically a math major tends to be useful if and only if the given student has a good idea of why (s)he is doing it, beyond just enjoying the subject.</p>
<p>Yeah I’m in college of chem too, a second-year, and I guess I must be an “exception” because I really enjoyed Math 54 (and I was one of those math-haters in high school) … But then again, I didn’t really enjoy Math 53 or other “practical” subjects. Math 54 was better precisely because it was more abstract and logical, in a way.</p>
<p>I liked math because it was satisfying in the sense that I could control what i was doing, applying what i learned to other situations. Well this was back in the old days when everything was easy. haha</p>
<p>Apple Juice, your reasons are rather why a math major would like math actually. </p>
<p>Though I’ll say that after one learns a lot more heavy mathematics, and can make the concepts in 53 a little more precise, the material looks fun.</p>
<p>haha but he’s doing chem :D</p>
<p>I know, that’s the interesting part actually, that he isn’t a math major but likes math for the “right” reasons. It does happen sometimes though, I have seen such cases.</p>