<p>Oh no no no, there's a snitch--pre-med courses have to be taken for a letter grade, and can only be taken pass/fail if that's the ONLY option, as in the case of bio labs. The pass/fail thing is generally for seminars/non-pre-med/non-major classes that you'd like to take and don't really want to count in case you don't get a good grade. It's a great way to explore courses, for instance, if you're really techie but you wanna try out an art history class just for the heck of it, then take it pass/fail and don't let it bother your focus on classes that actually count toward your major.</p>
<p>Hmm, so let's say you take some course as pass/fail, but realise that hey, you can actually get a good grade. Can you just change and take the course for a letter grade?</p>
<p>Yes, but only up to a certain point. I think the cut-off is usually ~3 weeks before finals, which gives you plenty of time to decide whether you prefer a letter grade or pass/fail. Do keep in mind that some courses are only available as pass/fail, such as seminars or student-initiated courses. It'll let you know your options on Axess once you sign up for the course. :-)</p>
<p>The "Change of grading basis deadline" is the deadline for changing pass/fail vs. letter. You've got quite a while to think about it, but sometimes this does not occur before you get your first midterm/paper back, so you may not be sure how well you're doing.</p>
<p>I have another question regarding the PWR and IHUM classes. I have absolutely no experience in writing papers and the English syllabus that I follow is pretty limited and is sort of designed for kids who are learning English as a second language.We are never required to analyze literature or present independent views on a topic. The exams are based purely on memorization of the text with a couple of simple grammar questions thrown in. Needless to say, hardly anyone takes the class seriously.</p>
<p>So what exactly do I need to do to prepare for the PWR and IHUM classes? I haven't seen any social science textbooks in over two years and am started to get really worried. Also, when you say that you write 20 page papers, what exactly is the format and what is the time period over which you write them? Thanks guys for your help. This thread was a brilliant idea. :)</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about it all too much. On the first day of class (PWR) and section (IHUM), stay behind for a bit and talk to the professor/TF, and tell him/her of your situation. They're pretty fair, but they won't know unless you tell them. Ask them for appointment times that you can go in and work with them. Every dorm also has a writing tutor that can help you with your essays/papers. Also, ask around the dorm--especially in 4-class dorms, there are usually upperclassmen more than happy to take a moment and read over something for you.</p>
<p>As for the formats:
Both classes: size 12 font, Times New Roman, double spaced, 1 inch margins
IHUM: generally anywhere from 3-5 pages per paper based on books read in class; about ~2 weeks to finish the assignment, if your TF is nice, then more
PWR: varies, but every PWR has a 15-page research paper, usually on the topic of your choice; you basically work on it throughout the quarter.</p>
<p>Hope this clears a few things up. Feel free to ask away if anything else worries you!</p>
<p>fuzzy logic, take advantage of the writing center. You get something like two free hours of writing tutoring a week (is that right?) from the writing center, plus I think you can just go to writing tutors drop-in hours, plus you can meet with your PWR prof or IHUM TF. There are tons of resources out there for you so there's no need to worry.</p>
<p>I've never written any papers on literature analysis either...our school (in Taiwan) teaches English as a second language as well. I passed a test that allows me to use English periods to self-study, so I haven't even taken an English class for three years! I read a lot, though, and love to write. Would taking the AP English Literature test, and studying for it, help prepare me for the writing work I'll be doing for IHUM and PWR?</p>
<p>Thanks for posting your question, fuzzylogic. I'd really like to know the answers as well, and thanks in advance to all you helpful current students :)</p>
<p>ROCKao, I wish they'd let me do that. We only have one English class a week so it doesn't really take too much time. I was born in the US and then moved to India for middle school. Though India is an English speaking country, my school follows a State prescribed syllabus which is designed for students whose primary instruction is in Telugu. The ICSE curriculum that I followed upto 10th grade was much more rigorous and laid a strong foundation but that was 2 years ago.</p>
<p>Don't worry too much, honestly. There's a lot of resources available, just be sure to take advantage of them. As for prepping for AP, yes, I guess it could help in that it'll give you extra practice, but it's not comparable in the least to a research paper.</p>
<p>Hey fuzzylogic :)
When I came to Stanford (3 months ago lol) I also didn;t have any previous experience writing papers. I've finished my first IHUM course and even though my final score is only decent (B) I improved quite a lot after my first two papers (first two papers B- last one A- and final B/B+). Also I would advise to actually ask for help (something I foolishly didn't do)/</p>
<p>So I posted one class a while back. I don't care what they tell you about faculty to student ratio. In an introductory course/series, the class size is generally humongous. But don't worry about getting enough attention; you just have to make sure you get it by showing up to office hours/section.</p>
<p>Bio 41: over 300 students.
Orgo: ~250-150, declining as you go along in the series</p>
<p>Goodness, no no no. It's for everyone ranging from those already decided to those who want to wait until the last minute because they have no idea. Come check us out and see what you think--the atmosphere/people are, after all, going to be with you for the next your years of your life, you want to make sure you find the best fit. :-)</p>
<p>Yup! That's the point of admit weekend - to learn more about Stanford. I'm really sorry to hear that you had a misconception about that. I'll just echo everything jwj said =D</p>
<p>There's plenty of time to keep fit, you just have to make it. I mean, the gym's open from 6 in the morning to 11 at night, there's plenty of times to go.</p>
<p>As for interdisciplinary, symbolic systems and STS are fairly known, I'm not sure about others.</p>