<p>Hi,
I'm going to be a freshman engineer in the fall and was planning on doing a humanities class, an R1B class, Math 53, and Chem 1A or 4A. </p>
<p>BUT, I'm trying out for Cal Band, and their practices conflict with the only good prof (according to ratemyprofessors) teaching Math 53. I thought maybe I'd try then instead to do Phys 7A in the fall along with the humanities, R1B, and Chem class. Save math for the spring.</p>
<p>Is this doable? I'm worried that the lectures/labs/discussions of Phys and Chem together might be a little too much work/time, especially with band practice taking 8.5-10.5 hrs a week.</p>
<p>Also, is Chem 1A or 4A easier? I'm not too interested in Chem and have VERY little knowledge of chem since I only took regular Chem (not AP) two years ago. Thanks!</p>
<p>don’t take 4a… unless u look like chemistry</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How can anyone look like chemistry? What the hell?</p>
<p>I don’t know about everything else, but Chem1A and Chem4A are generally the same, perhaps with little variations in emphases.</p>
<p>I believe Chem4A is for chemical engineers, and Chem1A is for everyone else.</p>
<p>thanks. yeah I was planning on 1A b/c i had heard that 4A would be tougher</p>
<p>what about taking chem 1a and phys 7a both in the fall? will it be too much with two other 4 unit classes (Comp Lit R1B and Energy&Resources C100 most likely) and cal band commitment?</p>
<p>Well, it really depends on how strong your writing/physics skills are. Physics 7a can really give you a run for your money even if you had a solid physics background in high school. R1A/B classes won’t be difficult if you’re a good writer, but they will take up time. Chem1A doesn’t have a lot of outside work (a few online problems per week) but studying for the midterms does take a while. I don’t know about the other class. </p>
<p>It all depends on your strengths. I’m assuming as an engineering intended you’ll do well in physics. The schedule is definitely doable, but you might find yourself short on time a lot, especially with cal band.</p>
<p>If you do get into Cal Band, you’ll be consistently sleep deprived in the Fall semester, especially with that course load.</p>
<p>I think I’m a pretty decent writer and not super worried about the difficulty of R1B necessarily. More worried about time commitment for having four classes and band. Supposedly the ERG C100 class is not that hard. I have not taken AP Chem or AP Phys, just regular chem at my HS and elementary physics at a CC.</p>
<p>I’m thinking about getting rid of one of those classes but don’t know what. I guess I can wait to do physics until the next semester. Not sure though. I think getting rid of any one of the classes leaves me with a pretty small course load (12 units) and puts me a bit behind schedule, I’d say.</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>In this case, I would hold off on physics and take it in the spring with math. The two complement each other well, anyway. Better to take it cautiously your first semester, especially with cal band. Physics can really be a killer-- perhaps it is better to wait a semester and test the waters. </p>
<p>Chemistry and writing shouldn’t be too difficult. I definitely wouldn’t take 12 units, though. I’d either take an additional 3-4 easy unit class that fulfills something, or take a couple of freshmen seminars (I highly recommend these) to bump to near 14-16 unit total. 12-13 and you’ll probably be bored out of your mind.</p>
<p>would it be too hard to do physics 7a, chem 1a, and math 1b together? I’m probably only an average berkeley student :/</p>
<p>@gilmore: what kind of background do you have in each of those three subjects?</p>
<p>if you took the AP classes in high school or took the AP tests then you should have a leg up on a lot of people.</p>
<p>I definitely would not do this. I took Chem1A and math 1B together, and that was difficult enough without physics.</p>
<p>I feel that it would be better to take Physics 7A with Math 53, but that, I think, also depends on your professor. I’m currently taking 7A with Professor Zettl and he did a lot of derivations using Math 53 notion and concepts and sometimes it was a little hard to follow since I am only taking Math 1B. </p>
<p>If you’ve only taken the most basic high school physics, then you will most likely find Physics 7A a little bit difficult at first. Chem 1A is not hard if you had a really solid AP Chem education recently (in junior/senior year). </p>
<p>I really suggest that freshman take seminars. Seminars are really fun and it really makes you feel like Berkeley is a smaller school than you think it is. Also, its a chance to really get to know a professor and maybe even get invited to the professor’s house.</p>
<p>About band, the thing with joining Cal Band is that it is a lot of time commitment. I have a friend who is doing Cal Band, and even though she was only taking 13 units last semester, she was still always sleep deprived because she had to travel, play, practice, and do other activities for band all the time in the fall.</p>
<p>math 53 comes after 1b right? so would i wait to take physics in the spring?</p>
<p>i’ve had AP chem…so i think i should be alright. definitely want 1A over 4A. and physics yea its super general stuff…is there an easier physics or is that the one to go with?</p>
<p>and just curious, what makes them “hard”? the tests, hw, material, etc…?</p>
<p>and when you suggest seminars, do u mean ones related to your major or just for the heck of it?</p>
<p>the 8 series is probably easier than the 7 series for Physics.</p>