<p>Since humanities APs earn 9 unrestricted elective credits, should I opt out of taking them this year (to save myself $258)?</p>
<p>To my understanding, most majors require 48 units of unrestricted electives. Isn't this requirement pretty easy to meet? It seems the extra AP credits wouldn't help much.</p>
<p>I think all that the extra "unrestricted elective credits" is good for is 1) if you want to double degree (but you can't anymore starting from 2012) or 2) if you want sophomore standing after your first semester or 3) you really don't want to take any classes period outside of GIRs and your major requirements.</p>
<p>I have 21 units outside of GIRs now but just taking my major requirements for two majors (for the double degree program - we're the last class to have it) will put me at ~230 additional credits beyond the GIRs (you need 270 beyond GIRs to graduate w/ two degrees). I still have another 54 unrestricted coming in to MIT but as you can see I'm probably not even going to need it much.</p>
<p>This scenario is even for two degrees, so if you just do one major or dual major, I don't think you'll have a problem at all without the additional credit. </p>
<p>BTW, which major has just 48 unrestricted? It seems the unrestricted count is pretty high in most majors (it's like ~80 for course 14 and 7).</p>
<p>But to make the long story short, I think MIT is filled with nice and exciting classes, so I personally am taking extra classes just because they're fun. I don't think you'll have a problem finding exciting classes to take to fulfill the unrestricted part unless you absolutely don't want to take extra classes and want to graduate early or something.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response, oasis!</p>
<p>I guess I was only looking at the engineering majors (most of them only require 48 unrestricted electives, since they're heavy on restricted).</p>
<p>If I choose to double major, could I use the restricted electives of one major to fulfill the unrestricted elective requirement of the other (and vice versa)? Or if I choose to minor, would those extra credits fulfill the unrestricted elective requirement of my major?</p>
<p>Exactly what I was wondering Trinitrondel...</p>
<p>There's not really an unrestricted elective "requirement" -- there's a units outside the GIRs requirement. Some departments don't require enough classes to fill 180 units outside the GIRs, so they have to include "unrestricted electives" as a placeholder. That just means you need to take more classes outside the required classes for the major in order to graduate. It doesn't mean that the unrestricted electives are "for" the major.</p>
<p>So for a double major, you need to a) fulfill the stated course requirements for both majors, and b) get 180 units outside the GIRs. Given that you're doing a), b) is not ever going to be a problem. Similarly, for a minor, you need to complete the major and minor course requirements and get 180 units outside the GIRs.</p>
<p>And for the original question, I think it's useful to take humanities AP classes and get the units if you're thinking of doubling. (Are they going to allow the option of dual degrees, or will everybody have to do the lame-o double major?) It's nice to have a safety cushion if you want to drop a class or two, even though you'll probably never need it.</p>
<p>
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Are they going to allow the option of dual degrees, or will everybody have to do the lame-o double major?
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</p>
<p>You can't get a dual degree anymore, starting from the Class of 2012. (2011 is the last class)</p>
<p>Thanks molliebatmit for the great explanation.</p>
<p>For a double major in engineering (most have 132 units in course requirements) and something else, when would the AP credits act as safety cushions? Doesn't that double major imply that the total units outside the GIR is going to exceed 180 simply by meeting the course requirements of both majors?</p>
<p>
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You can't get a dual degree anymore, starting from the Class of 2012. (2011 is the last class)
[/quote]
That is so lame.</p>
<p>
[quote]
For a double major in engineering (most have 132 units in course requirements) and something else, when would the AP credits act as safety cushions? Doesn't that double major imply that the total units outside the GIR is going to exceed 180 simply by meeting the course requirements of both majors?
[/quote]
The APs act as a safety cushion if you decide to drop the idea of a double. But if you do complete the double, you're right that the humanities AP credits would be totally extraneous.</p>
<p>Mollie, quit being hardcore. =P</p>
<p>As for the original question, I got 9 units of AP credit for Spanish, and it acted as nice cushion. If you have a rough semester (or 2...or 3...or whatever =) and end up dropping a class, or failing a class, or taking a light load because you know a particular class is going to kick your butt, knowing that you came in with x extra credits is a comforting feeling. I generally counsel people to test out of as much as they are comfortable with and grab as much credit as they can- getting a head start makes you less likely to fall behind. =)</p>
<p>Of course, if it's going to cost 300 bucks and money is tight, it's a value judgment that you'll have to make, but those are my 2 cents.</p>
<p>molliebatmit was incorrect about one thing...</p>
<p>Double B.S. degrees at MIT require 270 units beyond the GIRs. Single B.S. degrees require 180 units beyond the GIRs. </p>
<p>Sometimes, it does happen that people fulfill all the requirements for both majors but can't get both degrees because they don't meet the 270. That's actually one of the reasons cited for eliminating the double B.S. degree thing. I agree that it's lame, though.</p>
<p>Since "double major" is now the term almost exclusively applied to the new system (the old is now referred to as "double degree"), and Mollie said "double major," she's not wrong.</p>
<p>I'm providing information for students in the class of 2013, who will no longer have the dual degree option. I'm actually a holder of two SBs, so I'm aware that the dual degree system required 270 units (I graduated with exactly 270), but since that's not the system that will apply to the prefrosh who read this forum, that's not what I'm discussing here.</p>