<ol>
<li><p>Calc III and physics DO NOT go hand in hand. One is multivariable calc. The other is a physics course that you really don't need to know much calc to do fine in. Nothing about the courses will be similar, and I just took 251, I know.</p></li>
<li><p>Calc III honors, Chem, and Physics all together are going to kill you. 251 has a very tough curve and it's pretty much a self-teach course if you get a crappy professor.</p></li>
<li><p>If you add on another class, you're going to die first semester. I would switch physics out for the LNGS or FREN class. You can always take physics over a summer, and not much from the AP will ever be applied in 251, so you'd be fine holding off (I did, a whole year, and did fine).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Physics 251 is offered over the summer? Really? :D I just want to finish the last half of the four-course sequence so I can move on other things that need those courses as a prerequisite!</p>
<p>Well I'm sort of expecting LNGS 325 to be like .... well, I won't say a breeze, but I'm looking forward to a very exciting and non-tedious course, since I already anticipate a lot of the material (phonetics, syntax, morphology, historical linguistics, some linguistic psychology etc.) A fair amount of statistics and data-based principles. I suppose FREN 334 would be harder, but I don't know what the course is gonna be like.</p>
<p>Too many sad souls either put if off out of fear or fail it. The second semester of physics is a serious kicked for many, many engineers (from what I saw in the lab and talking to people outside of class). I got anywhere from 18-23 out of 50 on tests and was above average. The average I think was between 15 and 17 on the tests. Out of 50. Yes, it's that crappy. </p>
<p>And don't every assume a 300+ level course will be a breeze. You're setting yourself up for dismay...
I hope you heed my warnings. Ehiunno may have been capable of this, but that does not mean you will be. Chem181 and Physics251 are both very tough weeder courses, on top of Calc III (honors!). Add another 300-level class, and you're going to kill yourself. I vote drop 251, see how the first two weeks go, and go from there.</p>
<p>If I join 251 after two weeks, won't I be in a serious disadvantage?</p>
<p>Yes. But you'll be at a greater disadvantage if you fail something. The first homework wasn't due for like 2-3 weeks, and the first lab is REALLY easy and I don't think they count it if you miss it because you didn't add the course. You're going to need to watch add/drop deadlines though. The add date for SEAS is earlier than CLAS I'm pretty sure, but the drop deadline is later.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And don't every assume a 300+ level course will be a breeze. You're setting yourself up for dismay...
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</p>
<p>Nawww, that's not what I meant. It's just that I have been self-studying linguistics for about two years out of my own interest and am tired of lingering about in that area, haha. </p>
<p>French is a different story. Maybe my high school just sucked, but even though I still have to ask native francophones to repeat themselves countless times, in the classroom (even in a dual-enrollment classroom) I haven't been intimidated by French. But of course I could be very wrong at UVA -- shouldn't I have the courses first and drop them I find them to be overwhelming?</p>
<p>My plan is to take French or Linguistics and see what the work is like, and drop them (and possibly, physics) if I find it to be overwhelming.</p>
<p>I think Chem181, Physics251, Calc honors, plus labs (the 251 lab is hard, by the way, and a separate grade), is overwhelming, even in the beginning. It's going to be very difficult to judge their difficulty in two weeks, so that's why I'm trying to give out advice now.
French or the linguistics class might be a nice refresher. Frankly, if you dropped physics, you might be able to pull off taking both of those. I know you don't want to drop chem or calc, so physics is left...</p>
<p>Also, just to make sure -- Chem 181/182 can stand in for Chem 141/142 as a prereq, right? If not, then I better switch back to 141 right now. Also, does ISIS flag prereqs -- or just the professor?</p>
<p>And Calc III is also a critical prereq for other things (at least, multivariable calc-- as far as multiple integration goes, is used in the probability theory course, which I've always wanted to know. Damn those international math competitions!) </p>
<p>I don't want to drop Chem cuz it's a critical prereq for many later bio courses. Physics is just mainly for my own understanding cuz I've always wanted to know the Standard Model a little bit better. But that doesn't happen until I hit upper-level physics courses. I suppose physics can take a back seat.</p>
<p>Alright shoebox, I took your advice. :) This is my new schedule:</p>
<p>BIOL 317 (Intro to Neurobio) [3.0]
LNGS 325 (Intro to Linguistics) [3.0]
+ discussion [1.0]
FREN 334 (Adv. Oral and Written Expr.) [3.0]
Chem 181 (Chemical Principles) [3.0]
+ lab [3.0] </p>
<p>There, 16 credits! </p>
<p>Now, what would a PE class do...?</p>
<p>Should I drop BIOL 317 in favour of MATH 231H? The problem is that 317 isn't offered in the spring, but neither is the honors version of calc. (The latter seems to be less of an issue though, if not a blessing.)</p>
<p>EDIT: ISIS for Fall 2007 says that 15 people were left in Honors Calc III ... if the initial enrollment is roughly the same as this semester so far(26), is that a good or a bad attrition rate for UVA?)</p>
<p>I vote that you stick with what you have. For the 20th time, you have 8 semesters to take classes... You'll get it all in.</p>
<p>The COD isn't always correct. I wouldn't base attrition rates on the COD. And I think either class would be good. Calc you might forget a bit more in between semesters, but honestly, I think that's good. I went all three in a row and it was hard to transition into multivariable, and you didn't need to apply everything from calc II to do well, it just added to confusion I think.
As for the PE class, I would skip it. Use the time to sleep or something. Exercise on your own. A 1credit A won't do much to help your GPA.</p>
<p>Thanks for finally agreeing with me and others. I think you'll come back and thank us enormously later. You have a healthy balance and will probably enjoy all of your classes.</p>
<p>whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. I missed something here.</p>
<p>Fist of all, shoebox when did you take 251? I thought you took 252 this summer?</p>
<p>I took 251 my first semester in conjunction with Differential Equations (APMA 213) and Survey of Algebra (MATH 354) and did just fine, though it was a lot of work. Try to take 251 while bob jones is still teaching it. That guy is the man. He is an amazing teacher and all around nice guy and will spend hours with you if you don't get something trying to get you to learn it. Its a tough class, probably the hardest of the Physics Major intro series (151, 152, 251, 252) and focuses on e&m as you know. When I took it, there was TONS of calculus. He didn't make you do any multivariable calc though, but he would teach it to you if you wanted to know how to do it that way (in office hours or something) since multivariable calc is a coreq for the class. </p>
<p>With bob jones, 251 is ANYTHING but a self teach course. Trust me on this one... Then again, you don't really need that class for anything, so I wouldn't kill yourself trying to fit it in. Also, you aren't going to learn anything about the standard model in an intro E&M class, LOL.</p>
<p>Shoe, are you sure you are talking about the right class? Phys 251 doesn't even have a required lab ???? I am a little confused coming in late to this discussion.</p>
<p>Anyways the schedule you ended up with does look ok. Like I said, you don't need that physics class for anything so don't worry too much about it. I think the way you have it set up will be a nice tough schedule that you should be able to tackle if you put your mind to it, but it is definitely going to be a lot of work.</p>
<p>most physics majors don't even take 251 till their second year, so don't worry about putting it off. You will be fine leaving it off for another year, then you can take Calc III second semester. Honors would be nice, but not necessary and I think Jones will be teaching 251 next fall as well. I am not sure of the cog sci reqs, but I know you will need lots of bio, chem, and some CS and math (or lots of CS and MATH if you do it right ;)). Your schedule will set you up for prereqs you need. Next semester, get in on CS150 and take CalcIII. If you really want to get E&M done there is an engineering E&M class offered second semesters that would work. Last year it was taught by Joe Poon and he is a damn good teacher and pretty nice guy.</p>
<p>So good schedule, and be sure to let me(and the rest of us on CC) know what you are taking second semester when that time comes.</p>
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Also, you aren't going to learn anything about the standard model in an intro E&M class, LOL.
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<p>Hahahaha. I meant the sequence leads you to the courses that does teach bits of it. I just didn't want to squander my AP credit.</p>
<p>And now I feel encouraged, thanks!</p>
<p>But the description of CS150 doesn't encourage me though. "From Ada to the Web"? I mean, CS 101(e) is still available in the spring, right?</p>
<p>yes, but IIRC CS150 is a cogsci req. If not, I HIGHLY recommend you take 101e instead :).</p>
<p>ah, so looking over the CogSci record and it seems like the major is very open. I like the looks of that. Ignore CS150 unless you have to. That class is a huge waste of time. I could have learned more on wikipedia in an hour, but they won't let you out of it for the BA CS major so I had to take it just in case...</p>
<p>CS101 sux. Worst class I've had at UVa by far. What a waste of time.</p>
<p>Hahahahahahahahaha look what I found on a CS 150 page, on the FIRST problem set:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Software Patents. Robert Silvers claims to have a patent (United States Patent 6,137,498: Digital composition of a mosaic image) on Photomosaics. We're not sure what the ancient Babylonians have to say about this, but software patents raise lots of complex legal issues. One would have to check with a lawyer to determine if you can redistribute your code from this problem set, but we encourage you to do so and would be happy to defend a test case against this patent.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>cs150:</a> Problem Set 1 - Making Mosaics</p>
<p>We "free as in freedom" geeks are not simply hallucinating, see? :p </p>
<p>Anyway, CS150 doesn't look that boring to me right now. Why does the Cog sci page (UVA</a> Cog Sci) say CS 150 is "strongly" recommended versus taking CS 101? And is CS 101e less of a time waster than CS 101?</p>
<p>CS101e was the best last year, I didn't have homework for a full month. They're not going to do that again this year, I don't think. If you actually know intro cs then 101e is a nice fluff class to help you keep your GPA high. If you don't really know things about arrays/OOP/etc then it will be a good class to take.</p>
<p>Oh no lie, CS150 LOOKS really interesting. Then you realize there are way to many topics to cover for any of them to be interesting. You dont get more than half wiki article depth into any one of the topics, and I think we had like 3 or 4 actual coding homework assignments. In the whole class, I didn't learn enough about any programming language to say I learned any programming in the class. Everything was coding from example code (copy-paste...) or some bull crap.</p>
<p>Needless to say, stick with 101e. You seem smart enough that CS150 would drive you crazy.</p>
<p>Haha, I got the feeling that you spent most of your time surfing Wikipedia in that class. </p>
<p>I am reminded of a required high school career-preparation course I took ("Real Life," they called it). I always had enough time left over to put the sysop mop to use. :D Not that the syllabuses are the same, of course.</p>