<p>okay, so this is going to be my first semester at berkeley
i'm having trouble choosing which math class to take first because i screwed myself over in high school</p>
<p>during my first two years of hs, i was the #1 student in my math classes, but i went crazy during my jr year and ditched school a lot, didnt do homework, didnt pay attention, etc etc</p>
<p>jr yr i was taking honors pre-cal and i got a b my 1st semester and a d the second semester</p>
<p>sr yr they somehow let me take ap calc ab, and i got a c both semesters</p>
<p>if i pay attention, i'm very good at math, but since i didnt prepare myself properly in high school, and considering that the rigor of classes at berkeley is on a different level, i'm having trouble choosing which math class to take first</p>
<p>any help?</p>
<p>btw, i'm planning on either econ/haas/peis and didn't do fpf or cc during fall</p>
<p>I would take 32 and study really hard. Look at it this way. The math department knows what you need to prepare you for 1a/16a. They've created a class just for that purpose. If you take that class, you will be as prepared as you're going to get.</p>
<p>Yeah take 32. It's not an easy class and the new prof is not easy. But, there's an adjunct class at the SLC that helps you get through it and move on to the next level, and you get a unit for it too!</p>
<p>dontcallmebaby, i was actually in a very similar situation as you...straight a+'s in math in ninth and tenth grade...then became a completely opposite student not going to class not doing hw in 11th and got c's both semesters in calc</p>
<p>however, i am taking math1a my first semester here and i am doing fine...though i am still following my highschool habit of not going to class, i am doing the hw for the first time and it helps massively...so contrary to the advice given before mine, i think as long as you are willing to do hw, you will be fine in math 1a...and if you go to class in addition to doing hw, you will probably be even more than fine</p>
<p>Don't take 32... it's a waste of time and I'd only imagine how bored you'd be if you already took AP Calc. The 1 series was pretty straight forward, not too hard if you apply yourself. If you're feeling uncomfortable, take the 16 series... I've heard it's ridiculously easy. What do you need the maths credit for?</p>
<p>Take the 16 series, you don't need to compete with the premeds in MCB who have to take the 1 series. Don't take 32, as said before, it's a complete waste of your time.</p>
<p>The worst case in taking 32 is you are bored with the class and get a good grade your first semester at Cal. The worst case in going into 16A or 1A directly is that you are unprepared and end up doing poorly. </p>
<p>I'd rather risk being bored than risk not doing well my first semester.</p>
<p>I think it's not so much being bored in the class, but wasting a semester taking a math course that doesn't even satisfy any pre-req. If you don't enjoy math, just finish it in one semester, don't drag it out over two semesters.</p>
<p>To quote the original post, "btw, i'm planning on either econ/haas/peis and didn't do fpf or cc during fall"</p>
<p>econ and haas require two semesters of calculus, as far as I understand. Both programs are "capped", as far as I understand, and Haas is extremely hard to get into. GPA matters. Going into 16a unprepared is a recipe for GPA disaster.</p>
<p>One semester is required for Haas. Two for econ.</p>
<p>If you're going for Haas, taking 32 delays your schedule for 16A or 1A and Stats 21 (unless you feel confident that you can handle Stats 21 while taking 16A or 1A).</p>
<p>According to beatchick, the new prof isn't easy. So if GPA matters, why would you want to take a class that might potentially lower your GPA before you even get to your actual requirement? If you don't enjoy math in general and don't do well in them, having 2 semesters of lower grades is considerably better than having 3 semesters of lower grades. By the way, the SLC also offers an adjunct course for 16A.</p>
<p>Furthermore, does 32 actually prepare you for calc? Calc is quite different from most of the material in precalc, if you didn't do well in precalc, you wouldn't want to go through that again since the material shows up only sparingly.</p>
<p>Well, one GPA preserving strategy would be to take Math 32 P/NP. I don't know what downsides there might be for that, not many if you're planning to take 16A later for a grade.</p>
<p>"If you're going for Haas, taking 32 delays your schedule for 16A or 1A and Stats 21 (unless you feel confident that you can handle Stats 21 while taking 16A or 1A)."</p>
<p>Why would 32 delay my schedule and force me to take Stats and 16A or 1A at the same time? Couldn't I take one in the fall and the other one in the Spring?</p>
<p>Assuming that you're not going to take summer sessions, if you take 32 in Spring of 2008, then presumably you're going to take 16A in Fall of 2008. This leaves you taking Stats 21 in the Spring of 2009. However, Haas essays are due in Fall of 2008 (Late November). While you can list planned pre-requisites that you have not yet completed on your Haas application, it doesn't make you as competitive as others who have completed all the pre-requisites, especially since Stats 21 is one of the tougher Haas pre-requisites.</p>