Hi! I was just admitted to the class of 2019 to the College of Letters and Sciences and I intend to major in physics. I was wondering what my first year classes will look like. I have gotten a 5 on the Calc BC test and I was wondering if I will be able to go into Math 53. The instructions on the website seemed a bit vague. Also, should I consider taking H7A physics or stick with the normal path? thanks!
Yeah, go with Math 53 and Physics H7A. You might sound like the only one, but once you come into your first H7A lecture, you’ll notice all of the other freshmans who also intend to major in physics are also taking H7A along with 53 or even H53. There are even a few handful of students who got a 5 on the AP Physics C exams and go straight to Physics H7B in their first semester, so kudos for being geniuses.
Yes, you can take Physics H7A if you have a strong interest in physics.
For math, a 5 on calculus BC counts as Math 1A and 1B. You can try the old Math 1A and 1B final exams at https://math.berkeley.edu/courses/archives/exams to check your knowledge to the Berkeley math department’s expectations. Note that Math 1B does have some introductory differential equations material that you should self-study if you skip Math 1B.
if you can’t handle the difficulty, then of course it’s always o.k. to change it to the regular series and later declare your physics major without a problem and go from there. some people just like to do it intense and challenge themselves which is always admirable, but always optional.