<p>Hey! I was just wondering if anyone had any advice concerning the premed course load at Vandy. I have heard several times that it's not exactly 'cut-throat competitive' but I was hoping for some general advice from someone who has been there. ie. What professors to avoid/ which ones to try and get. Did morning or afternoon classes work best for you? How hard is it to make A's at Vandy? If your focused and a hard-worker, is it possible? Which classes did you enjoy the most on the premed courseload? Was calculus really difficult? (I'm taking Calc I this year, and again next yr at Vandy, but I've heard rumors that Vandy's math program is not the best... meaning the professors aren't very good) Or any other general advice.</p>
<p>Also, which courses do you think work best in order to take the most premed courses before the MCATS, while also not over whelming yourself with too many difficult courses that will risk your GPA. Thanks so much for anyone who can be of any assistance! (And any advice concerning specifically nueroscience and chemistry would also be appreciated. Thanks again!)</p>
<p>See the thread below on JHU vs. Vandy. Vandy does not have a very competitive atmosphere, but it is nonetheless extremely competitive. Average grade for premed courses will be between C and B- and very few students make A's. Thus, if you feel as though you will be an average student among the Vandy premed group, expect to make mostly low B's and high C's. To make A's, you will need to both work hard and have innate ability in the subject area. Don't miss class, study continuously and take advantage of the extra resources (help sessions, etc.) offered by professors.</p>
<p>As a calculus student, you would be much better off taking Math 155 then Math 150. Math 150 is a huge common course and there are traditionally very few A's. Sections are much smaller in Math 155 and professors write their own exams. Math 155 covers more material and moves faster but the exams are more predictable and grading is more forgiving than in 150. </p>
<p>The other questions you ask aren't really unique to Vandy and advisors will help you with course selection.</p>
<p>Most of what I have heard about Vandy's math department has been positive. I want to do premed and major in math, so if I go to Vandy, I will take 205 my first year.</p>
<p>Weasel8488 said: "Most of what I have heard about Vandy's math department has been positive."</p>
<p>Same here. Mind you, I've only heard one thing, which came from a mathematician I know, who said he "really likes" Vandy's math department (I'm not sure what his standards are, though --- he could just be saying it's halfway decent, or he could be saying it's on par with Harvard).</p>
<p>Does anyone else know about the math department? I mean teaching-quality-wise, not research quality, since a mathematician's research will be far above and beyond what undergrads can understand, regardless of the school.</p>
<p>(Sorry that this has absolutely nothing to do with premed, by the way.)</p>
<p>I checked out ratemyprofessors.com. The general pattern I saw was that professors teaching upper-level courses got higher marks than those teaching 150 and 155.</p>
<p>Does 155 cover more topics than 150? And is 155 generally for very strong math students? What's the pace of the class like in comparision to 150? I've taken AP calc this year, i'm not the strongest student, I have a B, and I plan to take either 150 or 155. I can't decide!</p>
<p>I haven't taken any upper level math courses and don't intend to. However, based on my experience in intro courses and things I've heard from other students, I'd say that in terms of quality of instruction, the math department is one of the weaker departments at Vandy. There are also very few math majors. </p>
<p>Math 150 is roughly equivalent to AP AB Calculus and 155 is roughly equivalent to AP BC Calculus. I would recommend that anyone who took calculus in high school (AB or BC) and got a 3 or better on the AP exam start with 155. 150 may be slower paced but not having to take TA-graded common exams is a big plus. Grading in 150 is brutal while 155 is more forgiving. Completely different atmospheres.</p>
<p>Math department isn't that bad here. I would definitely recommend taking 155A/155B as opposed to the 150s. I am an engineering major, so I took 155A/155B and they weren't bad at all. Made a B+ in 155A and an A- in 155B. I would also suggest taking 175 over 170A/170B (170A/170B move at a ridiculously slow pace). Made an A- in 175. Really, it all comes down to what professors you have. I had Leonetti for 155A (she is really nice and teaches very well), Crooke for 155B (kind of difficult to understand, but straightforward and allows calculators on his tests), and Mihalik for 175 (a little tough, but does a good job teaching a pretty hard subject). Right now I'm in Math 196 with Powell (he is a really really really good professor for linear algebra/diff eq...if you have to take 196, take him). Thats about all I've got on vandy math.</p>
<p>I agree with Linus...it totally depends on the professor if you're in 155. I had Raven for 155a, and he was horrible. It wasn't that he was bad at teaching or explaining things, but that his in-class examples and suggested problems were relatively easy, while the problems on his tests were much harder. Also, for his class there were only tests and quizzes, so it was hard to pull your grade up if you had a bad test. Right now I have Leonetti, and as Linus said, she is super nice and cares a lot about her students. However, she's a grad student and is graduating this spring, so I don't know if she'll be around in the fall to teach.</p>
<p>Nicole, 150 is harder mainly because it moves slower, which allows for the coverage of more material. In 155, the pace is rapid, so naturally, some material is skipped which allows for tests that are somewhat "easier". So, don't be fooled by the lower course number. 150 actually covers more material, at a slower pace (more stuff is fair game on a test).</p>