<p>I'm absolutely LOST on creating my schedule so if anyone could help, I would appreciate it greatly. I'm considering an economics major. Thanks so so much!</p>
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<li><p>In the fall I want to take a math class, Writing 20, a Spanish class, and an econ class. Is that enough, or should I add a science class to start getting that requirement out of the way?</p></li>
<li><p>I'm a poor math student. I took AP AB Calc my senior year and won't be surprised if I get a 2 on the AP. Any suggestions for an easy course I can take for the requirement?</p></li>
<li><p>For language should I take Spanish 76 or take an advanced 100+ and get the requirement out of the way immediately? I got a 4 on AP Spanish Language my junior year and am confident that I passed my AP Spanish Literature exam (with a good chance of getting a 4 or 5). </p></li>
<li><p>What is a good econ course for a prospective econ major to start with? I've never taken Econ before.</p></li>
<li><p>I was picked to take Writing 20 in the fall. Does this mean that in the Spring I should find a seminar to take? What kind of seminar should I be looking into for the spring?</p></li>
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<li><p>You are only allowed to enroll in four 1.0 credit courses this fall, so you wouldn’t have room to add a science class. You can add an additional 0.5 credit course if you like, but these are usually physical education or music classes. When you get to Duke in the fall, you can add more partial credit courses, up to 5.5 total, with the permission of your academic dean.</p></li>
<li><p>There are several “easy” QS classes you can take to fulfill your requirements. If you’re not strong in mathematics, you can take a comp sci class, many of which count toward the QS requirement. Since you’re (considering) an econ major, though, you will have to take several math classes, including 31L, 32L, 103, and a Stat class. If you did poorly on the AP Calc AB exam, you should start with 31L (or 25L, if your Math SAT score was lower than a 680).</p></li>
<li><p>I’m not really sure. The Spanish placement site seems to indicate that a 100 level course would be alright as long as you made a 4 on the AP Spanish Lit exam. See [url=<a href=“http://romancestudies.duke.edu/languages/spanishl/fl-requirement-placement-credit#Intermediate_Courses]here[/url”>http://romancestudies.duke.edu/languages/spanishl/fl-requirement-placement-credit#Intermediate_Courses]here[/url</a>] for more info.</p></li>
<li><p>Econ courses are supposed to be taken sequentially, so you’d start with Econ 51 (Economic Principles). Then it’s 55D, 105D, 110D, and 139D. These are the “core courses” for the major. There are also various Econ electives you could take, with Econ 48 (Intro to Political Economy) being the lowest level.</p></li>
<li><p>Most students do choose to take the seminar in the semester they are not taking Writing 20. What seminar you take is really about what interests you. [url=<a href=“http://trinity.duke.edu/first-year-seminars-program/fall-2011-seminars]Here[/url”>http://trinity.duke.edu/first-year-seminars-program/fall-2011-seminars]Here[/url</a>] is a list of seminars available this fall. It should give you a good idea about what will be available next spring.</p></li>
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<p>Thank you soooo much for your answer. It was incredibly helpful. I am significantly less confused about everything now </p>
<p>For math I got a 690 on the SAT and 35 on the ACT. I’m really not the best math student though so if 31L is very challenging I’d rather start with 25. If anyone has info/insight on 31L v. 25L I would appreciate it greatly!</p>
<p>What if you’re a strong math student? I got a 5 on calculus BC and 800 on the SAT math. I took linear algebra and multivariable senior year. What math would you recommend? Also, I wasn’t selected for writing 20 this fall. I might do computer science or statistical science as a prospective major. What classes would you recommend?</p>
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<li><p>As was already mentioned, you should only take 4 classes in the fall. As for whether the first four listed are the ones you should take, I’ll get to that next.</p></li>
<li><p>If you major in Econ, you will have to take 3 math classes: Math 31L, Math 32L, and Math 102/103–which are Calc I, Calc II, and Multivariable Calc, respectively. NONE of these classes are easy; in fact, Math 32L is often considered the “most failed” class at Duke. You will also have to take Stat 103, which is a calculus-based statistics class. Econ is the only social science I can think of that requires such a rigorous math curriculum, so if you are not 100% sure that you want to major in Econ (or another major that requires calculus), I might recommend holding off on your math until you are sure. It’s not worth tanking your GPA if, a couple semesters down the road, you realize you hate Econ and didn’t even need to take Math 31L to begin with. This is exactly what I did–I didn’t take Math 31L until my freshman spring when I had already completed Econ 51. It did mean that I had to take Math 32 over the summer to “keep up” with the Econ major, but it wasn’t really a big deal.</p></li>
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<p>If you do choose to take Math in the fall, take 31L, not 25L. 25/26L cover the same material as 31, but in twice the time. With all the math you’ll potentially be taking, you don’t want to add another semester in there.</p>
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<li><p>SKIP 76! As long as you feel pretty comfortable with verb tenses, you’ll save yourself tons of busy work and stupid assignments. As for 100-level classes, if you don’t want to major or minor in Spanish, 105 is the way to go. It’s incredibly easy (though it’s already full for the fall). I’ve also heard good things about 110S. 101 and 104 are going to be more difficult, as they’re required for the major. </p></li>
<li><p>Start with 51D. And don’t take 48 as an elective; it doesn’t count towards the major or minor. </p></li>
<li><p>Don’t worry about spring classes yet When the time comes, just look for a seminar that piques your interest…it doesn’t necessarily have to be a 49S seminar either.</p></li>
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<p>Thank you soo much for the help!
I’m 95% sure that I want to do an Econ major with a Finance concentration. I’m considering a minor in Spanish as well.
Is Math 31L so hard that it will tank my GPA?
Also, I didn’t find a Spanish 104 in the course search. I think I’m going with 106A. 101 seemed brutal from what I read on courserank!</p>
<p>We’re pretty much in the same boat. I think I’ll be taking Math 104 in the fall and then 105 during spring. I initially wanted 104X (Honors Linear Algebra and Intermediate Calculus) but it turned out that it’s only offered in the spring.</p>
It depends I guess. I think one of the hardest things about it is that there is homework due every class, but none of the professors (to my knowledge) actually collects the homework. This means that if you don’t stay on top of your work, you will fall behind and be very confused…and no one is there to hold you accountable for doing the work but yourself. </p>
<p>I got an A in 31L and I found the exams fairly straightforward despite the fact that I had never taken a Calculus class before. That being said, I am pretty good at Math (780 on the SAT) so that may have contributed to my success. I am a peer tutor for Math 31L and I have seen many, many students who really struggle to grasp the material and concepts.</p>
<p>My best advice to you would be to apply for a peer tutor EARLY in the semester so that they will really guide you along and be able to help you out before you have an exam ([Academic</a> Resource Center](<a href=“http://web.duke.edu/arc/peer_tutoring/get_a_tutor.php]Academic”>http://web.duke.edu/arc/peer_tutoring/get_a_tutor.php)). The other thing is to always, always, always do the homework the day it is assigned (as soon after class as possible). This will keep the concepts fresh in your mind and you’ll be more likely to realize when you’re really struggling with something.</p>
<p>Thanks! I will definitely sign up for the peer tutor so I have someone to help me when I’m really struggling. I decided to bookbag 31L with Mr. Blake and read great reviews about him so I think I will survive as long as I keep up with the work and seek help when I need it. I’m definitely not as good at math as you though - 690 SAT (but 35 ACT).</p>
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