<p>Can anyone who has been at CalTech in the last decade or so weigh in on what they felt their single most rigorous first and second year courses were? These would be the courses that you cleared the decks in advance for; the classes that made you visit the professor or TA for the first time; the ones whose 'sets caused you to go to the Store for more paper......</p>
<p>*Caltech</p>
<p>Please define your perspective on rigorous. In regards to workload, ACM95 (the series) can be very difficult and long for engineering majors. Ma1a (in its most recent form) kicks almost everyone’s butt because of the material and the way it is taught. It is also worth noting that Ma1a is the first Caltech math class most frosh encounter. CS21, an infamous weeder course for aspiring CS majors, was hands-down my most memorable course in regards to the difficulty level of sets and most interesting materials learned thus far.</p>
<p>Rigorous is rigorous. How does perspective apply? In times past, PChem was noted for kicking your butt.</p>
<p>I ask because some classes deal with a lot of material, but none of each individual topic is difficult to understand–it’s just the mountain slide of information that overwhelms you. Other classes emphasize fewer topics, but grasping them can be quite difficult. There are other ways of viewing “rigorous” in between, and I was just curious what you would identify as “rigorous” in your situation.</p>
<p>It’s true that quantity has a quality all its own</p>
<p>I can try to compile a pretty comprehensive list based on my and my friends’ experiences. For the record, I’m not quite as clear on Biology and Chem/ChemE courses and I have almost no idea what GPS guys take. Anyway, here’s my take:</p>
<p>ACM 95a (Applied Complex Analysis)
BEM 105 (Options)
Bi 8/9 (I honestly don’t even know the name)
Ch 41abc (Orgo)
CS 21 (Decidability and Tractability)
CS 38 (Algorithms)
EE 51/52
Ma1c Anal (Multivariable Calculus)
Ma 5ac (Algebra)
Ma109abc (Topology)
Me 19b (Fluids)
Ph12abc (Waves, Quantum, and Stat Mech)</p>
<p>Just pitching in on originalthought’s list:
Bi 8 is molecular and Bi 9 is cellular. Bi 8 quizzes were far more difficult, but both had an equal mountainous amount of stuff to learn.
CS 24 is pretty scary as well.</p>
<p>Ha Ha. I looked at it and yes, CS24 is pretty scary.</p>