<p>they teach both traditional and simplified. in the classes I had, you had to learn how to read both, but you get to choose which one you want to write in.</p>
<p>there are two very different tracks depending on whether or not you're a "heritage" student. That means if you're chinese, you take 109-110. If not, you take 101-102. 101-102 has more class sections (8 I think), but is relatively easy. 109-110 meets three times a week but requires a lot more work outside of class. About 2 hours a day I think.</p>
<p>Quizzes are usually a kind of 'do you remember how to write the characters'. </p>
<p>There are placement tests, but you can also just talk to the professors to see what level you belong in. That's what I did.</p>
<p>i believe 101-102 might be up to 50 students, but i'm not sure.</p>
<p>my 201-202 section (which is basically "lecture," given 5 days a week) has 12 people in it. </p>
<p>weekly homework: studying one chapter of an intermediate reader for mandarin, and this includes writing sentences to practice new grammar constructions, vocabulary usage, exercises pertaining to grammatical concepts, and english to chinese translations. this type of hw will take a maximum of one hour a day.</p>
<p>as for simplified and traditional: the textbook has both, so you choose which one you want to learn (at least in 201-202). There are 101-102 students in my class, after having taken traditional for a year, who switch, and then there are others who dont when they reach 201-202. The professor is accomadating, and will provide you the quizzes and exams based on your preference of simplified or traditional. An overwhelming majority of 200 level students choose to learn/test in simplified.</p>
<p>would you guys recommend taking a language during your first semester? i wasnt planning to because language classes are usually the hardest for me...</p>
<p>im planning on taking two intro classes (intro to programming and intro to micro econ)...is this a mistake?</p>
<p>It depends on the language. Chinese 109-110 is absolutely killer. Spanish 209 (which I took) was easier than my Spanish 4 HS class (and Spanish 4 at my HS wasn't even AP level).</p>
<p>patwu89:
I wouldn't suggest taking such a tough course load your first semester. 2 sciences, 2 languages, math, and PE will put you at 23 credits. That is going to be a very tough semester. An average semester here is about 14-18 credits.</p>
<p>ok I don't exatcly understand the semester system. For first semester (pre-med, pretty interested in languages): FWS, PE, Math, 1 Science, 1 language or FWS, PE, Math, 2 Sciences or FWS, PE, Math, 2 Sciences, 1 language?</p>
<p>If you don't want to take 5 courses, then take math some other time and put in a second science. Most premeds at Cornell take intro bio and gen chem their freshman years.</p>
<p>to aloe: you mean you just talked to the professor and skipped your placement test? i'm asking this cuz i really don't want to work through 12 credits. I just want to get one 200 course in mandarin over and done... but my mandarin has disintegrated over the past years. I dunno if i can get the mark for the 200 level but i know if i take the course the knowledge will gradually come back to me. sooo ya :p. how hard are those exams anyway</p>
<p>Is there a link where I can see an example of a pre-med student's schedule? Do anyone of you know students that took Calculus 1 & 2 after their freshman year? Are all the courses (math/science/language)year-long? Is 5 course semester doable? Sorry for all the questions, but i'm trying to plan out my schedule early.</p>
<p>Yes, Cornell's graded out of a 4.3 scale. In fact, I believe another poster on here (Ajkates) has over a 4.0 cumulative at Cornell.</p>
<p>Premed schedules:</p>
<p>Fast track (this is the one I did)
Freshman year: Intro bio, gen chem, math
Sophomore year: Physics, orgo
MCAT in the summer after sophomore year</p>
<p>Slightly slower track:
Freshman year: Intro bio, gen chem
Sophomore year-junior year: physics, orgo, math
MCAT during the junior year or in the summer after junior year</p>
<p>The only difference in the two tracks is that one requires you to complete your prereqs in two years while the other gives you three years to do the same courses. Since premed consists of so few courses, there's not much variation in schedules. The MCAT is also offered many more times now than in the past so you have more flexibility than I did as to when to take it.</p>
<p>Is Information Science & AEM a popular double major? I did a quick map out of my possible schdule (I'm a pre-freshman) and at the pace of 5 classes/semester there is no room to take anything else, and that's including my AP credits as well</p>
<p>well, you could take the placement test, but I heard it's really hard, and it's kind of for people who don't know which class to take. I would really just talk to the professors. That seemed to work best for everyone I've talked to.</p>
<p>cruncharp, I heard that the max number of credits one can get for each semester is 22. obviously if ur doing double major then u should take more than 5 classes per semester</p>