<p>What's up, I'm gt08 ... a third-year CHE premed at Georgia Tech and willing to help answer any questions that might come up.</p>
<p>How hard it is to get good grade on Calculus and Phys at GT?
What is weed out courses at GT?</p>
<p>Putting Co-op students aside, why is it so rare for students to graduate in 4 years? At most schools graduating in 4 years w/ a BS in engineering or CS is common. Why not GT?</p>
<p>Windley:
weed-out courses are: calc1,calc2,phys1,chem1,bio1.
Weed-out courses are difficult because they throw massive amounts of homework at you, demanding a lot from a first-time college student. Their tests are half as difficult as you might find in an advanced class, but since you're fresh out of high school, you'll find it immensely challenging.
Weed out courses are designed to "weed out" those who can't cope with first-year material and apparently would then have no chance with upper-class material.
This is why calc 1, calc 2 and phys 1,2 are tough courses. Note: physics 2, calc 2 are also difficult because the material is difficult plus there's lot of homework etc...</p>
<p>WS17:
I wouldn't call it "rare", but it's something special when GT students get out in four years. Some plausible reasons:
(1) Course material is VERY difficult in advanced classes and you might find yourself dropping classes and hence falling back on the prescribed schedule e.g. you might take calc 2, second semester of your freshman year, find it very tough and drop it. Already, you're behind one class. This eventually accumulates ...
(2) Many people fail classes and have to re-take them, for their major. Furthermore, some engineering majors have certain grade cut-offs for some classes (e.g. engineers can't get less than a C in math) and this gets tough on people who take diff eqs etc ....</p>
<p>All the above will result in someone falling back, but if it helps: the majority of late graduates spend only a semester or two more than they have to.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply, gt08.</p>
<p>1) What is your opinion about AP credits? Is it a good thing to by-pass some of these weedout courses w/ AP credit, or would you actually be setting yourself up for an even harder challenge by not taking the intro classes at GT and learning "their way"?</p>
<p>I'm referring to AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, and AP Physics.</p>
<p>2) You didn't list any Computer Science courses as weedouts? How are they in the first 2 years?</p>
<p>WS17,</p>
<p>(1) AP credits are a good way to by-pass Calc 1 and go onto Calc 2. Know, however, that some parts of Calc 2 can be challenging. I don't know about Statistics ...
Phys 1 is also a good class to get out of, if you take the AP Physics exam.</p>
<p>(2) I haven't taken any CS course except the one mandatory for engineers: CS1371. I hated the class, but that may be because I had no prior programming experience. CS classes, as such, aren't too bad if you have previous programming experience (even if it isn't the same language!)</p>
<p>I am also at tech, a freshman, and can respond to the ap question. I had 23 AP hours when I started. </p>
<p>I went directly into CalII and did well but I had to work pretty hard. The final was the hardest test I have ever taken in my life. I took ChemI and I have a knack for Chem and Bio so I found that class pretty easy. I did not take Bio since I have ap credit. </p>
<p>I went to a pretty tough HS so I have an advantage over a lot of the kids from smaller towns and it shows. I am not any smarter than them but they are used to getting by with not a lot of work and you can't do that at tech. Also I don't stay up all night gaming which some folks try to do.</p>
<p>I am in Physics I now so I can't provide any perspective on it. I have AP credit in computer programming but decided to take CS1371 and forgo the credit since I felt I could get a high grade which would become part of my GPA. </p>
<p>I plan to graduate in 5 years spending at least 2 semesters as a coop. The graduation delay is worth it to me as I have work experience in my field that will make me more employable</p>
<p>I am undeclared engineering at the moment but will have to declare soon or I will not be able to take any classes that count towards a degree. That is a by product of having a lot of AP credit. So there is a downside.</p>
<p>Tutoring is available and the freshman exp helps keep a lot of folks in. So even though its hard you can succeed if you focus.</p>
<p>I really like tech. Everyone here is very smart and you really learn but you have to work. </p>
<p>Last point....One trick I see people doing is taking some of the weed out classes at a local GA community college. What I see a lot of kids taking is either english or physics. Of course they can only do this if they don't need to take upper division courses in either english or physics since these CC courses are not very rigorous and they woujld be setting themselves up to fail later.</p>
<p>gt08, Is it CS that mandatory for engineers is one of the "weed out" course?
You hated that class, but what is grade cut-offs for that course and what % fail.</p>
<p>steviesteve007, You went directly into CalII and did well. Are you taking Cal3
now?</p>
<p>Yep I am in CalIII for all of a week now, Classes started last week</p>
<p>I wouldn't call it weed-out ... but I found it pretty tough. Grade cutoffs depend on the performance of the class that you are in and as for what % fail, not more than average .... 3,4% .... (shrugs ....)
Again, I have many friends who said that class was smooth sailing, got hundreds on everything and they're not exceptionally brilliant, but they did have prior programming experience or perhaps a knack for the subject ....</p>
<p>By the way .... steviesteve007, what's your major?</p>
<p>gt08, If you are third-year premed, you need good GPA. Why are you doing engineer and when did you finished mandatory CS?</p>
<p>Windley,</p>
<p>I started off just doing engineering. A year ago, I decided I wanted to become a doctor instead.
A good GPA is achievable in any major and I feel that getting a good GPA in a tough major like Chem engg. will prepare me better for the rigors of medical school.
Furthermore, a back-up never hurts. With a B.S. in CHE, the doors to a high-paying job are wide open, even if med school doesn't let you in.
I finished my CS1371 first semester of freshman year (fall 2004). Worked like crazy (more perhaps than any other class that semester) and just scraped through with a B.</p>
<p>Hey GT,
Two of my friends and I are all accepted for this fall and will be doing housing in the next couple of weeks. Which residence hall would you recommend we shoot for if we're looking for a quad-occupancy setup? We'll all be requesting FE as well if that makes a difference.</p>
<p>Thanks for being available, can't wait to hear from you.</p>
<p>WaxTheories,</p>
<p>Firstly: congratulations on acceptance into Georgia Tech.
Secondly: are you male or female?</p>
<p>I'm currently trying to decide what dorms I want to apply for and have pretty much determined I want FE on East Campus because of class proximity and more freshmen.</p>
<p>I have a friend in Glenn who really likes it, but I'm hearing from other people that Glenn kinda sucks. I hear Smith is pretty nice but he tells me you can hear the highway from over there. What do you guys think about various dorms in East Campus FE?</p>
<p>I, and my two friends for that matter, are guys.</p>
<p>Wax Theories: I can only talk about East Campus FE dorms, since I have never set foot in a west campus FE dorm.</p>
<p>(1) Howell Hall: I lived in a quad here, freshman year. The most recently renovated, it has a workout facility (outside the dorm) as well a cozy lounge where you can relax and watch TV (not that that will be your first priority …)
(2) Smith Hall: the biggest of all residence halls on East Campus, it’s right next to the notorious North Avenue but as long as you follow common-sense safety practices, you will be perfectly safe. It has two lounges (first and third floors) as well as a fully equipped workout facility (in the building itself) which has a TV too. By the way, I worked as a Peer Leader in Smith for a year.
(3) Glenn Hall, Towers Hall: to what I’ve seen of these dorms, they’re both dark, depressing and induce a sense of claustrophobia. But, these are just first impressions.</p>
<p>As Space10045 proves, my first impressions don't stand for much.
Smith is pretty nice, but yes, from some rooms, the highway can be heard. Furthermore, rooms that have windows opening up to the dining hall can wake up to the beep beep beep of some truck backing up ....</p>
<p>Space10045, refer to my review of halls.</p>