Since esquiar is HMC '12, the classes you’ll take will be different from what esquiar has taken. The curriculum of frosh chem consists of three half-courses (see description below) Based on my experience placing out of frosh chem as HMC '13, you’ll need to place out of all three parts of frosh chem to take Chem 51. </p>
<p>Save me, no one has placed out of all of frosh chem in HMC '12 or HMC '13 (and I think HMC '14), so don’t count on it. But if you do place out of all of frosh chem, you should discuss with the Chemistry department. Personally, I took an extra hum class.</p>
Short answer - no, other courses are primarily full courses (3 units). With the exception of seminars like Putnam seminar (work through math problems, P/F). I took a 14.5 load the first semester, so don’t worry about not having ‘enough’ classes. </p>
<p>Working off your provided information, here’s a suggested course schedule. </p>
<p>Depending on what he’s looking for, you may want to consider having him take CS 5 Green first semester rather than CS 42. I took this course and loved it. You tackle some very challenging problems, including genome comparisons, RNA folding, phylogenetic tree construction, etc. You get credit for either the CS or Bio core component, and you can go on to take a higher-level course in either CS or Bio to get the other core requirement. It’s a very well-organized introduction to some more advanced topics in CS and python programming (you learn a little more than you would in CS 5 Gold, but not quite as much as Black). CS 42 sort of seems like very rapid introduction to four different programming languages, and some people do wind up dropping it. If he’s looking for a way out of core Bio (all of my friends hated that class), I’d recommend this and following it with CS 60. 60 covers the same material as 42 (plus fast algorithms, Floyd-Warshall, and dynamic programming) but gives you a more solid foundation in the material.</p>
<p>Hmm…he’s not much of a bio guy so taking CS 5 Green might be a good idea. But, on the other hand, he’s VERY advanced in CS, and when he talked to the CS folks at the admitted students event, they thought he’d be best in 42. He is almost certainly going for the combined math-cs degree, and has worked in a fair number of languages already. But maybe:
Fall 1 - 15.5:
CS 5 Green (3)
Chemistry (3)
Writing 1 (1.5)
Physics or Chemistry Lab (1)
Elective (3)
Physics 51 (3) - suggested
PE (1)</p>
<p>Spring 1 - 17:
CS 60 (3?)
Chemistry (1.5)
Physics or Chemistry Lab (1)
Prob Stat (1.5)
Critical Inquiry (3)
Hum elective - suggested (3)
Math of some sort (3)
PE - suggested (1)</p>
<p>I would go for CS 42 since 1) the CS dept thinks it’s the best placement and 2) it provides the quickest route into higher-level CS classes like CS 70 and CS 81. Especially since he’s placed out of other Core classes, he’ll want to take upper-div CS classes earlier.</p>
<p>Well, it will be up to him, of course. I am pretty sure he’ll stick with CS 42 - I see that if he took CS 5 (any flavor), he’d then have to take CS 60, but with CS 42, he can then go straight to the upper level courses. ANd this gives him, probably:
Fall 1 - 15.5:
CS 42 (3)
Chemistry (3)
Writing 1 (1.5)
Physics or Chemistry Lab (1)
Elective (3)
Physics 51 (3) - suggested
PE (1)</p>
<p>Spring 1 - 17:
CS of some sort
Chemistry (1.5)
Physics or Chemistry Lab (1)
Prob Stat (1.5)
Critical Inquiry (3)
Hum elective - suggested (3)
Math 55?
PE - suggested (1)</p>
<p>@Fiona: Lol, I’m actually not '12. My post was assuming new core.</p>
<p>@warrior: I’d recommend not taking P-Chem as a freshman if you intend to be a chem major.</p>
<p>First, the thermo portion of PChem assumes multivariable calculus. You really just need to understand the concept of a partial derivative, how the chain rule works, and a couple partial derivative relationships. But this can be a bit overwhelming if you’re a freshman. Just imagine how sad you’ll be when the time other freshman spend on all their homework is equivalent to the time you’re spending on your PChem homework! (and Pchem redos, and 2nd redos…) </p>
<p>Second, you won’t have the same camaraderie with your fellow chem majors in your class unless you take all the sophomore chem classes at the same time they do. Chem majors can almost always fit in all the technical electives they want to take, unlike engineers, so no need to try to blitz ahead!</p>
<p>So what should you do Freshman year? I second Fiona’s recommendation to take an extra hum. I did that 1st semester, and it really helped me take more tech. electives sophomore year.</p>