<p>Hi. I'm planning my spring 08 schedule. Right now I'm considering Math 54, CS 61BL, Physics 7B and E 10. That's four technical courses and 26 hours of class time per week. I'm wondering whether this is too much for a freshman. Any advice? Thanks!!</p>
<p>That's a tough schedule, but possible.</p>
<p>What is your schedule now and how are you doing in them?</p>
<p>E10 is easy, but I'm not sure about the other classes since I haven't taken them. :P</p>
<p>i've taken all of those courses save for e10</p>
<p>cs61bl is easy, requires maybe 1-2 hours a week for hw assignments and projects</p>
<p>phys7b is easy, requires maybe 1-2 hours a week for readings, problem sets (don't have to be turned in, but good for practice)</p>
<p>math54 is probably the hardest class out of those but still very manageable as long as you keep up with readings/hw... maybe 2-3 hours a week</p>
<p>so yea in conclusion that schedule is very doable</p>
<p>Definitely doable...Phys 7B has generous curve, E10 is supposedly a freshman class, though I've never taken it.</p>
<p>Right now I'm taking Math 53 (A+), CS 61A (A+ or A), ESPM 50AC (A?), E92, E98, Math 98. The latter 3 are 1-unit P/NP.</p>
<p>bobthebanana, I wonder whether you're the extremely fast type. The catalog says CS61BL has, on average, 5 hours of self-scheduled lab per week. Which professor did you take CS61BL with?</p>
<p>If you are getting an A in CS 61A, there you'll be set for B and C (grading is less harsh)</p>
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cs61bl is easy, requires maybe 1-2 hours a week for hw assignments and projects
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<p>CS61BL is anything but easy. There are 6 hours of lab per week and the projects take a long time.</p>
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phys7b is easy, requires maybe 1-2 hours a week for readings, problem sets (don't have to be turned in, but good for practice)
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<p>Although the problem sets aren't "necessary," you're stupid if you don't do them because the quizzes come directly from the homework as well as midterms. The reading plus problem sets definitely take more than 1-2 hours to do. If you're not a physics whiz, the reading alone takes 1-2 hours and the problem sets take 2-4 hours.</p>
<p>The really bad part is, all of those classes have way too much class time for their supposed units. Physics 7B and CS61BL have 7 hours per week for 4 units, and I believe Math 54 is 6 hours per week for 4 units. The science departments really like to slave their undergrads for no reason.</p>
<p>I definitely recommend that you drop one of those four, especially if you're a first-year. E10 should be manageable, so I'd recommend either Math 54, Physics 7B, or CS61BL. Drop CS61BL if you want to take CS61B instead, which has more discussions/lectures and less lab. Math 54 is also a good one to drop because it doesn't rely on the previous math classes, so you can take it later. You're pretty ahead anyway. But you can also try it out, and if it's too tough, drop a class a few weeks into the school year.</p>
<p>vicissitudes, have you decided on your major?</p>
<p>cs61b IS easy -- it's just simple data structures. those times listed are hours of work to expect on top of the mandatory lab sections he's going to attend. and only the last project takes more than an hour or two. orochi's managing an A+ in CS61A, so he should easily manage an A</p>
<p>phys7B covers only one chapter a week (on average 20 pages of reading a week). each optional homework is a mere 6-10 problems. Assuming you take about an hour for the reading/note-taking and 5-10 minutes per problem, that equates to 1-2 hours per week</p>
<p>just to give you perspective Orochi, i'm an average EECS student, not a phys whiz, and i pulled an A in 61B and an A- in phys7b, spending only the above times. and if you're pulling A+'s in 61A, and 53, you're a definitely above average EECS student (i only got B+, B in those classes)</p>
<p>oh and yea it's nice to complete your undergrad courses quickly so you can take more upper div EE/CS courses later</p>
<p>cs61b is easy...unless you're taking it this semester with hilfinger, in which case its HELL</p>
<p>7b is easy if you know the material. i didnt go to any lectures and never did the homework and still did okay.</p>
<p>math 54 is easy if you keep up and understand proofs. the homework took no time at all.</p>
<p>your schedule is extremely doable. just depends on the person.</p>
<p>OK...... I believe I can do it. But I'm not sure whether the alternative is better: Math 54, CS 61BL, Physics 7B and English R1A in Spring, and E 10 in summer if they offer it. Does this sound better than my original schedule with English R1A in summer?</p>
<p>CS61B is easily one of the hardest lower-div courses at Berkeley. If CS61B is easy, then 90% of Berkeley classes are easy.</p>
<p>Physics 7B problems certainly do not take me 5-10 problems, nor most people I know. If you got an A in 61B and A- in physics 7B, that puts you around the top 20% in two of the hardest lower-div classes. You're not the average student in those classes.</p>
<p>If orochi is getting an A+ in 61A, then obviously he won't find CS61B to be too challenging, but I don't go reading every one of orochi's posts, or keep track of his grades. I only offered my comments based on the average student. No, not the average EECS student, the average student taking those classes. If you are getting straight A's in all your CS/Engineering classes, then you have to take the general opinion of certain classes and then adjust them accordingly.</p>
<p>It's like the last Berkeley Rhodes Scholarship winner, Ankur, who maintained a 4.0 doubling in Haas and EECS while he founded a journal and started a non-profit organization. Now, what if he had posted here anonymously as a first-year, asking how hard it would be to get a 4.0 while doing a double-major in Haas and EECS? Of course everyone's going to say "it's almost impossible" and "you should consider doing something else." Well if you're Ankur, you know you're bloody smart, so you would take the advice with a grain of salt. But as CC posters, who do not know the OP's background, we see something difficult and we call it as we see it.</p>
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It's like the last Berkeley Rhodes Scholarship winner, Ankur, who maintained a 4.0 doubling in Haas and EECS while he founded a journal and started a non-profit organization.
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<p>... that's insane. I remember someone asking just that on these forums, and everyone said something like, "That's next to impossible." I suppose I see why he won the Rhodes Scholarship.</p>
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but I don't go reading every one of orochi's posts, or keep track of his grades. I only offered my comments based on the average student.
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<p>i don't either but he did just list his grades in a couple of posts prior to yours. so in conclusion, let's just say i defeated you in this thread and i am a god and you are a minion</p>
<p>Oh you're right, I wonder how I missed that.</p>
<p>But my main points were this:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you are doing really well in your class (like orochi) then you should not take my advice word for word. Put it in perspective.</p></li>
<li><p>For the average Berkeley student, that is a pretty tough schedule with some tough classes, and if you're not in a hurry to graduate it doesn't hurt to take one of those classes next semester.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>But sure, I'll admit defeat and proclaim you winner of thread and God of CC. :)</p>
<p>That Ankur guy is genius. A GPA of 4.0 doubling in Haas and EECS absolutely makes no sense.
I wonder whether I would graduate on time if I did that double major......</p>
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That Ankur guy is genius. A GPA of 4.0 doubling in Haas and EECS absolutely makes no sense.
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<p>Dude Haas classes are super easy. If you substitute in a major of equivalent difficulty for Haas, like Sociology...4.0 doubling in Sociology and EECS...it doesn't look that intimidating :)</p>
<p>Oh, really? I though business is pretty competitive. But still, 4.0 is difficult for EECS alone.</p>
<p>Haas is only hard to get in. But even then, the hard prereqs are UGBA10, and maaybe Econ 1 and Stats 21. It's not that bad compared to engineering/CS classes. Upper-div Haas classes are pretty easy, but I dunno if I would say it's equivalent to sociology. :p</p>