Scheduling Help - Which math class??

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

<p>So here's my current first semester freshman year schedule:</p>

<p>PHYS171 (3)
Intro Physics: Mechanics + Relativity</p>

<p>CHEM231/2 (4)
Organic Chemistry I + Lab</p>

<p>HONR238R (3)
Terrorism Seminar</p>

<p>UNIV100H (1)
CLFS Only Version of Honors Colloquium</p>

<p>MATH241H (4)
Calculus III</p>

<p>A nice total of 15 credits that I'm pretty sure will keep me busy for my first semester! I plan on being a Math and Chemistry double major. My question however, is whether or not I should pursue the MATH340-341 sequence of classes instead of the 241-240-246 sequence? I imagine my second semester looking something like this . . .</p>

<p>BSCI105 (4)
Principles of Biology I</p>

<p>MATH240 (4)
Intro to Linear Algebra</p>

<p>CHEM241/2 (4)
Organic Chemistry II + Lab</p>

<p>HONR??? (3)
Misc Honors Seminar</p>

<p>If I follow this route however, I probably won't be able to start advanced calculus my sophomore year (due to the lack of MATH246), something that I think I might need to do in order to make my four year plan work with a math and chem double major and graduate on time (although I only have a very rough idea of what this looks like - hey, I haven't even started college yet). Placing in MATH340-341 in my freshman schedule for my math classes (which I have already been granted departmental permission to do) would be a nice fit and let me get those three necessary 200 level classes out of the way all by freshman year, allowing me a lot of wiggle room.</p>

<p>My concern, however, is that I may be overdoing it my first year. I want some free time to do extracurriculars and make friends and not be couped up studying all the time. But, on the other hand, doing 340-341 would allow me excellent flexibility in planning my schedule for future years (which would come in handy making my double major work).</p>

<p>Can anyone offer me some advice about 241-240-246 vs 340-341? Also, if I do switch to MATH340, do you think I could handle PHYS171H instead of PHYS171? I need to make sure I get enough honors classes in to get my citation and since my schedule in my later years will be so cramped it may be difficult: especially since h-sections are generally only offered for lower-level classes.</p>

<p>Any advice would be appreciated!!</p>

2

<p>Please? Anyone?</p>

3

<p>Have you done this online or with the admin? If you did with admin than follow what they have given you, this is their job, they are experienced at it. If you did this online by yourself than I suggest you talk to admin...again that is their job</p>

4

<p>Well I've been in contact with two advisers. Since you technically can't declare a double major until after your first semester and I'm declared in their systems as Chemistry, at orientation I spoke with a Chemistry adviser.</p>

<p>This adviser, at first, wanted me to retake Calculus II despite my BC score of 5. I explained to him that at the time I was considering either a double major in math or physics so he told me to take physics first semester (it's required for chem majors anyways . . . the class I'm taking is just a little harder than the required one though) and then work on another core class and skip a math class this semester. Later, after talking with him, I realized that because my double major will require a great deal of planning, skipping a semester of math would make scheduling my later classes very difficult. Since then I decided to drop the physics major and go with math, but I still want to take the harder physics sequence just for the knowledge of it. So despite my advisers recommendation, I went for MATH241H.</p>

<p>Later, I received an email from the undergrad math adviser who said I would be a prime candidate for the MATH340-341 sequence due to my calculus BC score of 5. She knows nothing of the difficulty of the rest of my schedule but said that I was capable of the class if I just did a little studying of vectors over the summer. She said that even though they would go over that stuff in the class, most kids will have some experience in multivariable calc (which I don't) so it would be best to at least get familiar with it before entering the class.</p>

<p>I don't mind doing some studying over the summer, but I particularly don't want to crash and burn and hurt my GPA my first semester. The professor teaching MATH340 is very good from the grade distributions I've seen, but I was wondering what some students and other people think. Is the ability to have a very flexible schedule later on worth a slightly stressful and challenging first semester?</p>

5

<p>My son is taking the 340 sequence but has also taken a multivariable class with vectors etc. If you want, send me a pm with your email and I'll hook you two up. At the very least he might be able to help some if you find the material too difficult. </p>

<p>He's taking two honors seminars, Russian, Math340, and a CS class</p>