<p>The thread says it all, really. At my CCC, political science classes typically involved an assigned reading from a textbook (which could be safely skipped, since the content was completely covered during lecture), two or three tests, two or three papers, and a final.</p>
<p>I expect (and, honestly, hope) that Cal will be a bit more rigorous. Can any current Cal political science majors (who have also attended CCC) comment on this?</p>
<p>Also, how is the grading system? Is it impossible to get A's? How is/is there a curve, and how does it affect things?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>would like to know as well…</p>
<p>+1 for this info. PoliSci at CCC was excruciatingly easy. As much as I’d like to graduate summa cum laude, I’d like to learn stuff too.</p>
<p>I haven’t had a chance to listen yet, but Berkeley has some political science courses in iTunes U. Most are of a course focused on guest speakers, but I believe they have a campaigning class of some sort posted. Might be useful to at least get a sense of the level of discussion.</p>
<p>Yeah social science and humanities classes at cc are easy peasy. They are easy A’s or automatic B’s even if you slack off like mad.</p>
<p>I can’t speak from experience, but it’s impossible for anything NOT to be more rigorous than CCC political science. </p>
<p>You could try looking up syllabi, such as: <a href=“http://polisci.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/FishM/PS2-SP11.pdf[/url]”>http://polisci.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/FishM/PS2-SP11.pdf</a></p>
<p>Hope somebody with experience provides you guys the info first hand. :)</p>
<p>Somebody on another forum I frequent gave me the super secret info on the best professor to take for the oft-decried PS3 course, and also which GSI to take for it, but they weren’t sure how long those same folks would be teaching it. From what they said, it sounds like a crappy, worthless class that even the instructors think is lame. And who teaches it can be really hit-or-miss, in terms of enjoyability/ how its taught. PM me for names.</p>
<p>A **** ton of reading and a **** ton of writing. Qualitatively you’re all relatively intelligent so A’s are not out of the question. </p>
<p>I have a buddy (a Regents Scholar) and about to graduate and a friend who graduated early and is now investigating civil right violations for the DOJ are my sources.</p>
<p>If you need anything more specific ask and I’ll pass it on to them. My buddy the Regents is actually wrapping up his thesis on Japanese political strata.</p>
<p>Poli Sci. majors at Cal should seriously consider UC DC.</p>
<p>^Thats the summer session in Washington? Sounds interesting…</p>
<p>[UC</a> Summer Courses in Our Nation?s Capital | Berkeley Summer Sessions](<a href=“http://summer.berkeley.edu/courses/berkeley-washington]UC”>http://summer.berkeley.edu/courses/berkeley-washington)</p>
<p>^No I believe it is an actual semester there and not necessarily a summer semester. My friend did UC DC this past fall semester after studying politics at Cambridge in London. So I’m sure it’s not necessarily a summer thing.</p>
<p>SFC, did you get into Cal? I believe UC DC is open to all UC students.</p>
<p>Yeah, I got in, by the skin of my teeth I suspect! The acceptance damn near gave me a heart attack.</p>
<p>^ why do think you barely got in?</p>
<p>Well, I don’t want to hijack the purpose of this thread, but I had a ~3.5 gpa, F in an open-enrollment UCSC summer course (albeit that was 6 years ago), about 12 Ws/ 2 no credits. That was all some time ago, and I’ve got about a 3.8 at CCC these last 2 years, with a 4.0 in the major. So its true when they say the upward trend and good essays really mean something.</p>
<p>■■■■. If there is anyone on CC that deserves this it is you. Mother****ingcongrats. Hip hip cheerio. </p>
<p>I see you changed your location already.</p>
<p>Thanks! As far as the location goes, lol yeah I figured I’d get with the style of the times.</p>
<p>hey nick, I guess you have to take POLS3 and gailmard teaches that class this summer. He is really good, and I can only recommend him. I think you’ll be good since you had already a stats class.</p>
<p>Since I’m a Spring admit, I won’t be there this summer. 
I’ll keep that prof in mind, though.</p>
<p>@nick_scheu: I think that even spring admits are welcome to take summer session :). The only difference is that you would be charged the visiting student rates rather than the UCB student rates.</p>
<p>@Nick, sry but I’m a little behind, what happened to UCLA? So you SIR’d to Cal?</p>
<p>I was denied for UCLA. Apparently they decided all of my crap OOS units were transferrable, meaning my cumulative GPA was very low for my major (3.4ish). </p>
<p>I thought I had a chance for UCLA because of these factors:</p>
<p>-4.0 in my most recent 51 units
-4.0 in my major prerequisites (all 4 complete, plus a social science statistics course)
-A clear contrast between those early units and my CCC units (i.e., an extreme upward trend)
-The questionable nature of the school that awarded those units (nearly lost it’s accreditation last year, has less than 90 students, highly unusual curriculum, etc)
-TAP
-Very strong major-related work experience
-Very strong personal statements, where I describe my experience working for a corrupt elected official and later testifying for the prosecution in the trial of a city councilman</p>
<p>Apparently that wasn’t enough to overcome those 30 units from 2006-2007.</p>
<p>I’ve been admitted to Berkeley for Spring 2012, though. The more I think about it the more I think the Spring thing could actually be good. If Cal gives me unit credit for those units, as UCLA did, I should be able to finish my degree in three semesters while taking just 12 units each semester–saving a semester’s worth of expenses. Frankly, that may be one reason they stuck me in Spring (I’m right on the edge of senior standing, if those OOS units count).</p>
<p>I haven’t SIR’d yet since I haven’t even visited Cal’s campus, but I’m almost certainly going to (I’ll be visiting in three weeks). It’s hard to say no to Berkeley.</p>