<p>Lilliana I would actually say UCSD is very strong in science but you have to weigh other options that come in to play in choosing a school</p>
<p>CADREAMIN - I would say for a while I thought my opinions were solely based on my experience when I first got here but then as I’ve been here for a few years now I would say those opinions are based off of experiences that I’ve now had in classes etc not on things that I’ve missed by transferring… </p>
<p>hopefully that makes sense</p>
<p>@Heisenberg5522 Definitely. However, it seems that at the UC’s, only graduate students reap such benefits. Correct me if I’m wrong. Also, the odds are against me; statistics say I’ll change my major 2-3x. If I change to a non-science major, it would all have been pointless…</p>
<p>I feel like I’d thrive the most at USC (see reasons listed above), but it’s a 4-year commitment & I wanna make sure I’m taking the right steps. :/</p>
<p>@Lilliana330 Other than smaller classes/lack of popularity for science majors, I’d say the rest holds true and is fairly accurate. The intro classes will always be decently large (of course not as large as UCs but not tightknit enough as I think you are hoping for) and the smaller classes don’t really happen until you get into the 300s/400s. I’d consider everything else to be valid reasons and of those 3, I would have chosen USC as well.</p>
<p>War Chant,
Very reassuring! Thanks 
As for class sizes, would Freshman Science Honors (& other honor options in the future) help? I’m nervous about decisions next week! </p>
<p>That would shrink intro BISC/CHEM series to 60-80 people per class which is a pretty significant reduction. I’d still say that is larger than optimal for meaningful discussion but still an improvement over the regular sections. Most people will be Pre-Health and aiming for Med school so there is also some more competition that comes along with FSH since they tend to be the “smarter” kids.</p>
<p>^ Would you say that pros outweigh cons or that cons outweigh pros for FSH? Would the harsher curve be worth the smaller size?</p>
<p>The curve is actually better in FSH as more students receive As/Bs (essentially guaranteed unless you really mess up). This question has come up a few times on here over the years and I still can’t think of a quality answer.
Let say you try really hard and get an A/A- in the FSH section, you would probably get that same A/A- in the normal section and vice versa so on the high end, it really doesn’t matter too much. BUT lets say you do average/above average in FSH, that might end up being a B+/B due to the curve. But if you did average in the regular section, that would end up a B-/C+, possibly B if you have good lab grades or something. I can’t really give a proper answer SINCE it really depends on how you do in the class which neither of us are able to predict. If you end up with an A/A-, whatever you’re happy, who cares which section. But if you get a B/B- there will be that lingering question of “What if I was in the regular section?” or “Was FSH worth it for a B?”.</p>
<p>For those applying to med school, a 3.5 is currently needed to be competitive for MD (lower for DO and trash for Caribbean) and that is even pushing the lower limits. An A is worth 4.0, A- is worth 3.7, B+ is worth 3.3, B is worth 3 so those who are pre-med really need to maintain A/A- average which is where the talk of Bs hurts.</p>
<p>^ Hmm I think it’s worth the risk, then, specially since med school is out of the question for me. Thanks! :)</p>
<p>^^It is very confusing that you are having such a hard time deciding on USC with a trustee scholarship in hand. Maybe you just don’t like it? </p>
<p>@blueskies2day Well, the prices are the same. And I’m not having a hard time deciding: I submitted my SIR at the end of March. Just making sure it’s the right choice. Fight on! </p>
<p>@Lilliana330 did you receive Trustee too? Congrats! And I’m so envious that you’ve made a decision! I’m still uncertain <.></p>
<p>@AspiringStudent Thanks, congrats to you too! Haha what are your options? :)</p>
<p>Narrowed it down to: USC Trustee and Berkeley Regents</p>
<p>^Tough choice! Congrats on Berkeley (:</p>
<p>Reading through this thread, I can’t help but think that your experiences really depend on where you’re coming from as well as your major. </p>
<p>I disliked having TA’s for my GE classes too, but for an University of this size it would be unrealistic to have classes with less than 40 students for core required classes (though GE5 does a good job of limiting the class size to ~18 students) - but the reason they divide you up into discussions with TAs is to give you a more individualized approach to learning. As you move into your upper division courses, you’ll find that your class sizes do become much smaller, and that professors go out of their way for their students - all you have to do is ask.</p>
<p>I can honestly say that my gripes with the large classes were quickly wiped away once I reached Junior and Senior year. My professors made an effort to learn the names of each and every student, and did their best to help us outside the classroom whenever we needed it. Maybe it was just my experience in Marshall as a business student…</p>
<p>I was wondering about this too, so I asked my engineering major - has all professors, but he only took one GE so far, but that was taught by a prof too. He said the TAs are there for extra help/to assist or for discussion after class, but they haven’t taught any of his classes freshman year. So maybe it is major/class dependent.</p>
<p>^ That is what previous posters have said as well. TA’s are for the small discussion sections and for grading. Unfortunately, these two things can have an impact on students as posters have mentioned. This is different from a small LAC where prof will do everything- teach, grade, discussion.</p>
<p>Even at Princeton 30 years ago we had certain classes (Econ 101, Freshman English, etc) where the lectures were 200+ students. At that point you have to break the class down into sections which will be lead by TA’s (typically grad students). And yes, in those courses your grade will be determined by your TA – though if you had a particularly bad one or one you didn’t get along with you could speak up and be switched. I would expect this at any major university. If it is still happening once you get into the junior and senior year courses I would consider that a major negative.</p>