<p>Read the site- says a 4/5 on both Physics C's gets you out of the 1200 sequence. Then doing well on calculus gets you into the 1400 sequence. This is what I want. </p>
<p>Then I read the course catalog and I see things about placement tests and interivew to assess lab experience. EEK! </p>
<p>I'm self-studing AP Physics C so I'm not behind the toher physics majors at Chicago but I'm pretty concerned.</p>
<p>Yes, the options in the sciences at Chicago can be confusing. </p>
<p>But why worry about it now? This is the kind of stuff that you discuss with your advisor and department reps during o week if you choose to go. </p>
<p>FWIW, you should view this plethora of options as a positive, even though it may be confusing now. It offers you an opportunity to select a physics track that fits your unique combination of physics and math ability. Some universities don't have this flexibility.</p>
<p>I don't know specifically about physics, but in my kids' (and others') experience, those placement tests and interviews are your friends, not something to worry about. In general, I think people are very sympathetic to and supportive of a student's desire to challenge herself and get to a high level. They just want to make certain that you don't wind up way over your head, or underplacing yourself out of caution. The idea isn't to hold you back or to keep you down at all. Within a pretty wide range, your preferences -- after advice -- will be respected. And even if you wind up deciding to start at a lower level than you hoped, it will be with a plan to catch up, which will probably serve you better in the long run.</p>
<p>I was worried about the 'lab experience' interview, but then I realized that there actually is no such thing. I got credit for the 12000 sequence through AP credit, and my advisor said that I did not have to do any interviews to gain full lab credit.</p>
<p>Also, note that if you DO get 4s/5s on the Physics C test and test out of the 12000s sequence, you won't get credit for that if you take the 14000 sequence.</p>
<p>Also, if you can do the math for AP Physics C, you shouldn't worry about getting into 141. You will need to know multivariable calculus, but I think the bare minimum is having a grasp of BC, and they'll teach you how to do vector stuff during the class. I think there's a supplemental book for 141 called 'grad, div, curl, and all that' or something.</p>
<p>Phuriku,
Did you take the 141 series or use APs to get out of the requirement? Can one exempt the 141 series via placement exam? If you took it this year, how is it with Honors Analysis as well?</p>
<p>What is the highest physics you can enroll in as a freshman?
I got the impression that it was the 14000 sequence from the catalog, but theeres a good chance I'm wrong about this.</p>
<p>I just used APs to get out of the requirement. I wanted to take 141, but yeah... not enough time. With Honors Analysis, it would've been very difficult. I'm currently taking JAPN203, STAT251 (Prob. Theory), MATH270 (Complex Analysis), and MATH209 (Honors Analysis), and I'm just about killing myself. Honors Physics isn't as hard or as time-constraining as Honors Analysis, but is probably more on the level of Honors Calculus (which requires 10-20 hours/week).</p>
<p>The people I know in Honors Analysis taking Physics alongside it are either taking the 130s to satisfy the Core requirement or are taking Modern/QM because of an intense interest in physics. You can test out of the 140s and you can test out of 120s, but the former is incredibly difficult. So you could enroll in classes as high as Modern Physics/Quantum Mechanics/et al. during your freshman year, although not many do so.</p>
<p>I know many people taking the MATH160s and PHYS140s sequence simultaneously. And it seems that the majority of these people want to get out of Honors Calculus ASAP, because it's too theoretical for them. If you want to take MATH207-208-209 with PHYS140s, you will have to have a great appreciation of difficult concepts of abstractions and difficult concepts of applications to succeed, and few possess such quality.</p>
<p>Is it possible to just place out of one of the three 140 series? For example, I am taking and advanced E&M course at a local univ, so I tihnk I would be okay there, but I think I might want to have another quarter of mechanics and waves (I think that's what the thirs quarter is) because I'm certailny not as good with those as I am with E&M. Is it possible to do something lke this, or is either all or nothing with the placing out?</p>
<p>yes, im confused too and i'd like some help.</p>
<p>first a little background: took Physics B, got a 5, i anticipate getting double 5s in C this year as well as a 5 in calc. bc.
in addition, i watch a lot of lectures on mit's open courseware.
ideally, i'd like to place as high as possible into both physics and math at chicago. i know some basics about proofs, but nothing fancy, just simple stuff like the irrationality of sqrt of 2, not much beyond that. i also know some multi. i know div., grad, and curl, as well as most vector operations, and multiple integrals and partial derivatives, although despite knowing how to do a lot of this i don't know many of the applications. (i learned most of these from the text "intro to electrodynamics", it was way over my head, but the first chapter was very helpful, as well as stewart's book)</p>
<p>considering my background, would it be possible to get into 161 calc and 141 physics (the wave and vib. one i think), and also, would this be appropriate? i'm ready and willing to work and challenge myself, although i'd like to go home on break with some sanity and a decent gpa.</p>
<p>you could definitely get into both honors with your background but it's pretty damn difficult.</p>
<p>My roommate did 161 calc and 141 physics and I believe he really enjoyed both of those classes.</p>
<p>However, someone I know also started off with 141 physics and 161 calc... she dropped to 153 and next quarter is finishing physics with 123 (and I believe she did have some respectable AP scores). So yea, go for it, but just be prepared to either work your tail off or realize early enough that it might not be the thing for you (however, from your physics experience already, it sounds as if youre in for the long haul) </p>
<p>Good luck =)</p>