<p>Okay I am definitely scared bout these two required classes...i heard it's pretty tough..(according to a guy who went to my high school last year)...could you guys tell me how hard the classes are...um how many peep end up gettin A's and ugh...how much hw do you get from them? what kind of tests do you get? multiple choices? lol..i really have no clue so...what kind of things are you learning there? ahhh thx for your time guys...have a merry christmas~!!!</p>
<p>Actually, the classes all sound rather interesting =D I'm pretty excited about IHUM (beats the extensive math/science requirements at MIT x__x)</p>
<p>I just finished my first quarter at STanford. It seems like most freshmen are more worried about the PWR requirement than the IHUM req. The difficulty and your interest in your IHUM class is extremely dependent on which class you're in and which TF (teaching fellow) you get. I've heard a wide range of reactions to the first quarter IHUMs, from people who loved them and their professors (I took visions of mortality and personally enjoyed it a lot, my TF was also great), to people who absolutely despised IHUM. My section had only 9 people in it (though the average number is more like around 15). I'd say about two to four people per section received A's with my TF (that is just a guess). Choose your IHUM course wisely-- the first quarter one is only one quarter long and goes by pretty fast, but the second one is two quarters long. However, they have an open house in the fall where you can learn specific details about each course, and for that one you can more or less choose your TF too. I haven't taken PWR yet, but it seems to be more work than IHUM. The workload of my IHUM involved a couple of ungraded short essays, two longer essays around 5-6 pages, three take-home essays for the final exam, and lots and lots of reading (though a lot of students can get by without doing some of the reading). Also, a big part of your IHUM grade comes from section participation. The bottom line is dont' worry too much about IHUM. Though it is difficult to get an A, it is quite possible.</p>
<p>Going off what jmstnfrd08 was saying, I was one of the people who despised my IHUM with a passion. It depends entirely on your TF and interest in the class. I had the hardest TF who didn't give As on papers but slash grades like B+/A-, and the subject matter and readings were uninteresting to me. Don't worry about getting all A's your first quarter at Stanford. This is the time for you to explore the resources of the university so take advantage of it! Besides, college (especially Stanford) is a new ball game so don't expect As in some classes unless you want to work your a** off and you'll have 11 other quarters to establish your academics. If you do get an A in IHUM without too much effort, good for you. But if you really have to invest a lot into it in order to get an A then it's not worth it. Like jmstnford said, don't worry about IHUM-AT ALL. Everyone suffers through it.</p>
<p>Note: Worst case scenario: In order to get that A in IHUM (with an incredibly hard TF), you have to be an excellent public speaker in your section, blowing everyone else out of the water with your points (that often have to be eloquently defended) and opinions on the reading or lecture, and write essays that are so good they're nominated for the boothe prize. visit <a href="http://pwr.stanford.edu%5B/url%5D">http://pwr.stanford.edu</a> for info on the prize</p>