<p>Hi Carolus,</p>
<p>I did three SURFs and worked during the year while at Caltech. (For course credit, not for pay - by doing a thesis or lab work, you can get out of course requirements in some majors.) 10-20h/week is the norm - almost everyone I knew who was grad school-bound put in that time, so it’s certainly achievable. Think five hours each day on the weekend, or some spare time between classes. My advice is that you start out working for course credit until you are established in the lab. That may sound like a gyp, but keep in mind they are investing a lot of effort to train you.</p>
<p>No one is twisting the faculty’s arms to give undergraduates jobs. Their motivation - other than our smiling faces - is that their projects progress faster and additional aspects get explored. My advisers enjoyed taking students so I’m not sure whether they saw it as a means to an end…but I certainly think I was useful 
Got out a paper anyways.</p>
<p>“b” term core classes aren’t offered first term. Most people who place out of Ma1a take Ma2a during that term. To answer geomom, math is the most common thing to place out of. The background of those students is generally analysis or beyond at a local university. I took AP Calc BC and math through DiffEQ at a local community college (not proof-based) and I didn’t place out. In fact I found Ma1a very challenging - much more than the rest of core math! Chemistry is next with maybe 6-12 placing out each year. I think they’re required to take organic chemistry instead, but those people are usually chemistry or biology majors anyway. In my year two of them were Romanian students from a special academy with a chemistry focus. In physics, I would guess less than six place out per year. I knew of only one and his dad was an Academy member o_O</p>