<p>3) second year spanish is 5 units per quarter, but it's not hard, just time consuming. if you do the work, you'll get an A - which is pretty nice on your transcript. as for studying abroad, you can take the classes whenever you want, but your placement is only good for a year. (if you wait to take Spanish until your sophomore year, you have to take the placement test again in the fall of that year.) once you've taken one quarter of second year spanish, you can take the next one any time you feel like it, even years later</p>
<p>For my Mechanical Engineering major, I am going to need 21 units of Science. I am going to get credit for CHEM 31A and PHYSICS 41 based on AP exams and dual enrollment. That is 8 credits. Then, I am going to take CHEM 31(B or X), PHYSICS 43, and PHYSICS 45 which brings up my total to 20 credits. To fill in that last measly credit, I was thinking of taking either PHYSICS 44 (The lab of Electricity/Magnetism) OR PHYSICS 46 (the lab for Light/Heat). </p>
<p>Which would be the more simpler, more enjoyable option between 44 and 46? AND, which should I take between CHEM 31B or 31X? I dont remember Chemistry that much because I took it way back in the summer after 9th grade.</p>
<p>i've put virtually no thought into planning out my college career other than browsing the stanford bulletin for courses that might interest me. am i doomed already?</p>
<p>If you take X, your credit for 31A (if from AP) will disappear, so take B. If you've taken 31A from dual enrollment, then not a problem, and you should just take X.</p>
<p>44's cooler if you wanna get shocked. 46 is cool if you wanna play with lasers. Both are simple 2 hr/week classes.</p>
<p>Yeah its from Dual Enrollment. So in my case it would be better to take 31X rather than 31B?</p>
<p>
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i've put virtually no thought into planning out my college career other than browsing the stanford bulletin for courses that might interest me. am i doomed already?
[/quote]
Absolutely not! Don't worry! I don't think I even glanced at my Bulletin before I got to Stanford. Once I got there, I looked it over with my new friends and with my freshman advisor, and we figured things out. There are many resources at Stanford to help you plan your schedule, so don't worry about doing it now.</p>
<p>Yeah, 31X has less crap to cover. Plus, since you've already done 31A, you'll breeze through the first half or so of the course pretty easily. Good deal all around.</p>
<p>Question: For the language requirement, if you are a fluent speaker of a language offered by Stanford, are you exempt from that requirement? Are you still required to take the placement test?</p>
<p>You still have to take the placement test but if you're good enough at the language you can just place out :)</p>
<p>Thanks, I will do that.</p>
<p>Also, I'd like to take both the Math 50h and Physics 60 series. I've read through this thread and people have been saying that this will be very difficult/time consuming, but I've taken AP Physics, both E&M and Mech, and studied some multivariable calculus. Since I know some of the material these courses will be covering already, I was hoping that the workload wouldn't be too bad.. what do you think?</p>
<p>See, the thing is, so has just about everyone else who wants to try it. And it's still hard. It's no longer so much about problems as it is about theory and proofs, so it's a completely different style from AP where you memorize a few equations and then for the most part, it's plug and chug.</p>
<p>Everyone in Physics 60 series has at least done AP Physics Mech and E&M. Most, if not everyone, has also done at least a year of math beyond Calculus, most have done more than that. I'm sure that everyone in Math 50H has done at least a year beyond calculus, probably more. You'll have similar preparation to those in Physics 60 series and less preparation than most in Math 50H. You can do both courses, several of my friends did freshman year. Then again they were all brilliant, even by Stanford standards. You could always take both and then drop down to 40 series physics or 50 series math. </p>
<p>The difficulty comes from ridiculous problems and incredibly fast paced material for 60 series, and then tough proofs in 50H series. 50H series will be completely different from any math you have ever done before. I don't think you ever actually use equations. You just prove stuff about them. 60 series physics will cover material you've already seen, but the problems will just be much, much harder. I think sometimes they introduce new notation too. You also do relativity, optics, thermo, and quantum. Both of these classes have somewhat intense problem sets that will take a good deal of time, or at least mental energy. You can always try and see for yourself.</p>
<p>If you've taken both AP physics courses, and studied some multi calc, you're ready for both 60 and 50H. Taking both at the same time, as marlgirl said, is not something to be taken lightly, but it's quite doable. Probably on the order of a dozen people do it every year, maybe a bit less. And you can drop down--the first day of 51H will be standing-room-only, then over half the class will drop by the time the first homework set comes out.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that just because you like Math doesn't mean you'll like 50h. 50h is all about proofs and has very little 'solid math' involved. I personally don't like theoretical math too much (then again I'm an engineer) but if you do then try it out. Oh and a lot of people who take 51h end up going to 52 because they just can't handle it/didn't like it.</p>
<p>do we get a list of books or something for the classes we're gonna take? I tried finding the course websites but for some of them (chem 31x) I can't access "coursework"...w/e that is. Umm yea I would prefer to have the list now b/c it's the books are alot cheaper on amazon lol.</p>
<p>Every syllabus will have required/suggested/optional texts on them. At the very latest, you will recieve the syllabus on the first day of class. Alternatively, you can go to syllabus.stanford.edu and see if its posted there, but I doubt it will be with the start of school so far away.</p>
<p>Go to the Stanford Bookstore website. Some of them already have the list of books for the fall posted.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Go to the Stanford Bookstore website. Some of them already have the list of books for the fall posted.
[/quote]
<p>Also, you can share books with your friends or borrow them from the library. You can also buy a book from the bookstore and return it. These options come in handy if you get the syllabus on the first day and order your books online after that.</p>
<p>Also, amazon doesn't really save you that much money; for the time you wait for shipping, you might as well just get it. Speaking of which, shipping charges tend to kick you pretty hard, since textbooks (especially if you buy several) are freaking heavy.</p>
<p>I highly recommend <a href="http://www.half.ebay.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.half.ebay.com/</a> Great deals here, even for books in brand new condition. For example: <a href="http://product.half.ebay.com/Principles-of-Neural-Science_W0QQprZ510890QQtgZinfo%5B/url%5D">http://product.half.ebay.com/Principles-of-Neural-Science_W0QQprZ510890QQtgZinfo</a> Fundamentals of Neural Science retails for $115 but you can get it brand new for $73. I've used this site many times and have always received the exact thing that I wanted promptly.</p>